


The Second Time Around

by justpassingthrough



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Movie Fusion, Byronic Hero, Deception, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Inspired by a Movie, Mutual Pining, Reylo - Freeform, Slow Burn, fake identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-02-02
Packaged: 2019-02-22 14:58:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 60,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13169334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justpassingthrough/pseuds/justpassingthrough
Summary: "I can't, he's my teacher," her voice is softer now, almost pleading.Hux laughs in one short burst. "That's the best part! I can see the headline now-Teacher-Student Relations: How Close is Too Close?We're going to blow the lid off it!""No, there is no lid," Rey insists. "There's nothing going on between Kylo and me. Er, Mr. Ren and me."A groan sounds. "Not yet, maybe. But something is there. Every person on the fourth floor has been coming in to watch you two. It's like a bloody Regency film!"Rey's jaw unhinges. She is mortified. "The whole office is watching?""This isn't a joke, Ms. Jakken. He is your story."***Based off of the late 90's romcom, Never Been Kissed.(More so in the beginning and then it becomes its own, different story.)





	1. December 29 - January 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He turns around now, and catches Rey's eyes with a look of surprise. "I don't think we've met. I'm Kylo Ren, although the school has this weird thing about not letting you guys call me Kylo."

"You don't have to do this, Rey." Finn says, his voice low, as he walks up to her cubicle. "Hux has it out for both of us, and this is his underhanded way of showing it." He shakes his head as he takes his place next to her chair, leaning lightly against her standard issue particleboard desk.

Rey looks up from her computer at her work superior and closest friend, unable to hide the grin that's been painted on her face since the staff meeting not twenty minutes ago. "You always see the glass half full, Finn. This could be the big break I've been waiting for!"

Despite graduating Fordham University with a major in Journalism magna cum laude last year, Rey is still "proving herself" to editor-in-chief Armitage Hux. He insisted it's because he is a perfectionist, and wants to make sure Rey herself meets those standards. But Finn won't budge from his theory that it all stems from the fact that Rey didn't respond to Hux's advances when she first started at the paper.

"He knows you've never written a real piece and then he throws this behemoth at you! I don't trust the..." Finn pauses, taking a quick scan of the fourth floor, making sure there aren't any sensitive ears within hearing distance before he continues. "Prick."

Shutting her laptop closed, Rey's shoulders shrug nonchalantly. It isn't that she doesn't agree with him, everyone who had worked here longer than a month had already come to similar conclusions about the man in charge. But Finn didn't grow up as she had, and though he had the best intentions, Rey wasn't going to wait for luck to fall onto her lap. She knows she has to make the best out of what she is given, just as she always has.

She pushes her chair back on the linoleum floor and stands up, her hand brushing gently along Finn's forearm in a comfortably affectionate way. "I know you're only looking out for me, but I can do this."

In her short black pumps, Rey is level with Finn, and she meets his eyes with intensity. This is her way of telling him she isn't backing down.

A small groan sounds from the back of Finn's throat, and he bears the meaningful eye contact a few beats longer before finally giving a barely discernible nod. "Have it your way. But you have to let me help, both of our jobs are on the line."

Victory! Rey's grin dances upon her lips once more. "I won't let you down, boss."

"Alright, alright. Get out of here." Finn glances down at her office appropriate outfit of a tan silk blouse tucked into a pair of navy trousers. "The first thing you need to do is get shopping, Peanut. No one's going to believe you're seventeen when you're dressed like a Golden Girl."

* * *

 

Rey braces herself for the cold as she steps out of the H&M on Fifth Avenue. Her arms are piled high with bags of clothes she'd let the shop girl pick out. Fashion had never held much of an interest to Rey, undoubtedly because she'd often had the last pick over clothing donated to the foster homes. Being mild mannered, Rey never burrowed her way to the front of the line like some of her foster siblings did. This led to a lot of strange looks while she'd been in school, but that didn't bother her.

Pulling the hood of her coat further down her forehead until it nearly covers her eyes, Rey starts in the direction of the 51st Street subway station. It isn't a long walk, just under half a mile, but in the cold every step is taken just a bit slower. Her hands push deep in her pockets and she clutches her MetroCard as she walks.

Even during working hours on a Friday afternoon, the subway station is bursting with people. Rey attempts to make herself smaller as she squeezes through the turnstile with her bags pressed in front of her. She walks down the steps mechanically and speeds up as she sees the subway car slowing down.

Rey works her way in amongst the other passengers and heads straight for the corner of the car, finding a seat next to a man with headphones on. Arranging her white plastic shopping bags on her lap, Rey closes her eyes and thinks about the assignment that awaits her on Monday.

Hux had used his professional connections to enroll her at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, a prestigious public school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The students would be coming back from their winter break, which would make the transfer of a new student fairly normal. Hopefully they'd all be focused enough on regaling their friends with tales of their holidays to bat an eye at Rey.

Rey's body is used to the swaying and abrupt stops of the subway, so when the train makes its sixth stop, she automatically stands up and wiggles her way past crowded bodies and out the door.

It's a short walk to the flat she shares in East Harlem with her old foster brother, Poe. Rey's nose feels numb by the time she walks in to the shared entrance. It isnt't heated, but thankfully it does keep out the bitter winter wind.

Adjusting the straps of the plastic shopping bags into the crook of her arms, Rey quickly jogs up the stairs to the second floor. She pulls her keys out and opens the door to the small two bedroom flat.

The room is empty, Poe at the mechanic's shop where he works until at least dinner time. She walks down the hall past the galley kitchen overlooking the tiny living room crammed with an old, slightly ripped up brown leather couch and the giant flat screen television Poe had insisted was necessary for gaming.

Rey's bedroom, in style with the rest of the place, is tiny by most standards, just enough room for a twin bed and a desk pressed right next to the closet. But it was hers. She'd always shared a room in foster care with at least one other girl, sometimes boys mixed in if it were a particularly bad home. Rey happily basks in the solace of her own space.

Poe's bedroom is situated across the hall, slightly larger, but that was only fair since he'd secured the apartment for them.

A year older than Rey, Poe had defaulted out of the foster home and immediately begun training as a mechanic's assistant. He'd always had a great mind and picked up whatever caught his attention for the week, but he'd insisted he did not have the patience for college. "I already suffered through the school system once, kid," was always his response.

It didn't take long for Poe to out-master his mentor, and since he had a knack for burrowing money away, after two years he was able to buy in to 50% of the shop.

Rey sighs with relief as she slides the shopping bags onto her bed and shimmies out of her coat. She slips the coat onto the back of her desk chair before absentmindedly rubbing her forearms, red from the weight and irritation of carrying her new wardrobe across Manhattan. There is a small pair of scissors in the side drawer of the desk, and she retrieves them and gets to work removing the tags and stickers, piling up the clothes in neat stacks next to her on the bed.

The remainder of the afternoon and evening is spent online. Rey herself didn't have much use for social media, but she knows she would be treated like a pariah without them in modern day high school. She just needs a name to befit her new persona. "Rey...Smith? No, too ordinary." She presses her lips together tightly, in thought. "Rey...Dameron?" Poe would get a kick out of that. Their relationship had always been familial, so it wouldn't be too far from the truth. Still, it wasn't quite right.

Her eyes run across the small collection of books stacked next to the laptop on her desk. An avid visitor of libraries, Rey only kept a small handful of books she considered to be her favorites. The left side of her mouth curls into a smile as her gaze lands on _The Waste Land_ by T.S. Eliot. "Rey Eliot. Perfect."

* * *

 

The rest of the weekend goes by in a blur, having alternated between furthering her online presence and reading up on where the rest of her senior class would be this semester. ElRo, as the high school was affectionately referred to, gave seniors elective choices for their core classes. With A and B day scheduling, she would have 9 classes in all, but double up and take English 12, AP Government, Economics and Pre-Calc every day, and her other classes in AP Biology, French 2, Fitness, Drama, and Visual Art would alternate.

The school was close enough to her apartment that in the summer she'd most likely walk. But the first week in January is always unforgiving, so Rey opts for the bus to protect her from the elements.

When dressing that morning, she'd layered pretty effectively and thought with her youthful features she would have little trouble being accepted as seventeen. Sitting on the bus now Rey clutches a medium sized cognac brown satchel stuffed with her laptop and the textbooks Hux had sent over on Saturday. Her legs clad in formfitting dark denim jeans, matching brown booties covering her feet. On top she wears a thermal long-sleeved tee under a light pink flannel. The whole ensemble is topped off with a mustard yellow scarf and olive green utility jacket. It isn't something Rey would have picked for herself, but she has to admit it looks good.

A surge of nerves course through her veins, making the light brown hairs on her arms stand at attention as the bus comes to a stop a block from ElRo. "This is it," she mutters under her breath.

Rey slides out of her seat and follows what must be a few of her fellow classmates out of the bus and onto the busy downtown sidewalk. She goes over the map of the school mentally as the understated building comes into view. First period is English 12, located on the second floor of the building in the eastern hall.

The crowd of students becomes a line as they enter the building. Taking her place in queue, Rey notices the thick metal-detectors arming the entrance.

_Glad to see schools finally offering better security._

Rey and her satchel pass through unhindered and she carries on inside.

The hallway is littered with students in a slight frenzy, shoving books into small lockers and attempting to send last minute texts while speed-walking to their first classes.

Pulling up the sleeve of her left arm, Rey checks the time. 8:15. Five minutes until the first bell. _I really should have skipped breakfast,_ crosses her mind forcefully.

Her body feels like it is on auto pilot. Or perhaps she's having one of those out-of-body experiences she's always read about. The whole situation is seeming more preposterous with each step inside this building filled with young adults.

_Did I look this young when I was in high school?_

_They're going to see right through me._

The door to English 12 is open, and Rey quickly scans the room with alert hazel brown eyes. Only about half the seats are filled, most of those being in the middle and back half of the room. Her gaze pauses on the smile of a fresh faced girl sitting in the front row.

"Hello! Are you a new student?" The girl chirps as Rey approaches her desk.

After all of the mental buildup, Rey finds the lie comes to her quite easily. "Yes, I'm a transfer student. My family just moved to Manhattan for my dad's job."

"Awesome, welcome to ElRo!" Her smile spreads as she extends a small hand. "I'm Rose."

"It's nice to meet you, Rose, I'm Rey," she replies, shaking Rose's hand lightly, unsure of the confidence a teenager would show.

Rey is met with a surprisingly strong shake at the same time as the first period bell rings.

"Welcome back, class. I trust you've all had a lovely holiday, and you made reading _As You Like It_ your top priority." A deep voice interrupts their light conversation from the desk just a few feet behind.

Small groans illicit from around the classroom. Rose immediately looks alert, and pulls her copy out of her backpack.

Her eyes meet Rey's before flicking to the empty desk next to hers. "Do you have a copy?"

_I knew I was forgetting something!_

Rey shakes her head regrettably, her nose scrunching up at the mistake. She slides into the desk next to Rose's and is slightly surprised when the young girl scoots her desk a few inches closer.

"Here. We can share."

A relieved smile colors Rey's features. "Thank you so much."

The sounds of papers shuffling echoes throughout the room as the rest of the students retrieve their copies. Rey takes the moment of respite to finally look up at her first teacher.

Impractically tall, he stands with his back to the classroom, shoulders hunched slightly as he writes on the blackboard. Dark brown shaggy hair moves of its own accord. When he turns around, _PASTORAL COMEDY_  can clearly be seen, written in thick block letters. " _As You Like It_ is an example of a Shakespearean Pastoral Comedy. Did anyone care to learn what that means?"

He turns around now and catches Rey's eyes with a look of surprise. "I don't think we've met. I'm Kylo Ren, although the school has this weird thing about not letting you guys call me Kylo."

Was that supposed to elicit laughter? Mr. Ren's face gives away nothing, his thick brows lowering slightly.

From the looks of it, this teacher is in his early thirties. Mr. Ren seems to be a hodgepodge of features thrown together, yet somehow he isn't left looking like the Hunchback of Notre-Dame. High cheekbones highlight his slightly oval face, punctuated by an aquiline nose. Full lips rest underneath a pronounced cupid's bow, only slightly hidden by his well-kept mustache and beard.

He clears his throat, arching one eyebrow at her. Oh! She was supposed to speak!

"I'm Rey. Eliot. I think the school would be comfortable with letting you call me that. Rey." The words pour out quickly, practically a run-on sentence.

For a moment, Mr. Ren almost seems amused at this. But he brushes it off quickly, tapping the piece of chalk angled between his first two fingers against the board behind him. "Welcome to English 12, Rey." His eyes leave hers to scan the classroom. "Again, does anyone know what a Pastoral Comedy is?"

An enthusiastic girl in the row behind Rey waves her hand and Mr. Ren nods in her direction. "Oh! Pastoral! That's what they do to sheep!"

A few half-suppressed laughs sound.

"That's _pasteurize_ , Clara," Mr. Ren corrects gently, walking around to the front of his desk to lean lightly against it. "Anyone else?"

His question is met with silence.

Rey and Rose exchange a look before she answers without raising her hand, no longer used to the exercise. "Pastoral means set in the country. Originally seen in the Eclogues of Virgil. It's from the Latin _pascere_. To graze."

This catches Mr. Ren off guard. He stands up and paces over to her desk in two long strides. His deep chocolate eyes seem to peer into her soul as he asks, "Are you sure you're...?"

Has the ruse been caught onto so quickly? She nearly gulps, but by some saving grace manages to keep her countenance unaffected. "Yes. I'm seventeen." Rey's voice is the definition of confidence as she repeats, "I'm seventeen."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! This is my first fic in a long time, so please be gentle. It's mainly just for the fun of recreating one of my favorite lighthearted movies with my favorite spacebabies!


	2. January 1, part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, Ms. Eliot, you've managed to make matters worse for yourself. I was going to hold your phone until the end of class. Now you can pick it up at 4 pm, after detention."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your kudos! It's been of great encouragement.

The rest of English goes off without a hitch. Rey keeps her thoughts _mostly_ to herself, despite being quite familiar with the required reading.

Rey can feel a newfound camaraderie with main character, Rosalind, temporarily banished from the office and in a new disguise.

The instructors of her next three classes, AP Government, Economics and Fitness, accept Rey's story right off the bat.

Everyone had received memos regarding the semester's new students. It was only Mr. Ren who took pause. That was essentially Rey's own fault, speaking out of turn and on what was perhaps a college reading level. She would have to remind herself to keep some of that nervous enthusiasm to herself.

By the time lunch rolls around, Rey is feeling famished. Jitters plus a light breakfast apparently don't get you through a school day like they used to.

ElRo boasts a thorough curriculum, but its facilities are humble. The cafeteria looks like it can only house half of the senior class.  Chalk it up to Manhattan real estate if you will.

The canteen is filling up quickly as Rey joins in the line for her lunch.

_At least the cafeteria food looks the same. Questionable, but not inedible._

Her eyes scan the stainless steel island where warm food is fogging up the contamination glass. All the usual suspects are present; rectangular shaped pizza, deli style sandwiches, large dill pickles, baskets filled with under-ripe fruit, and a questionable "beef chili". Better safe than sorry, Rey decides upon a sandwich and pickle, her mouth salivating at the thought of food. 

A boy in front of her turns his head in her direction passively and then circles back, pale blue eyes zeroing in. "Hey, teacher's pet."

"Excuse me?" 

Rey had ended up in the first row in every one of her classes that morning. Seats weren't assigned, but even when she tried to take a seat in the middle, she was shot down.  _"We sit here,"_  being her favorite line, delivered from the mouth of an intimidating-looking blonde, accompanied by two other girls of equal beauty. Those same three girls were also in her Fitness class. Somehow they made the gender-neutral uniforms look good, something that Rey's willowy body failed to do.

" _Pastoral_ from the Latin word  _suck-up,_ " the teenager sneers. 

Immediately Rey's face flushes, and she dips her head down a touch so that her shoulder-length tresses brush against her cheekbones in an attempt to hide it.

"Oh. Yeah, I did go a bit ham on my homework over, um, holiday..." 

A menacing chortle sounds. "Right. You went  _ham_." He shakes his head. "Don't bother trying to get on Mr. Ren's nice list. Every semester a different girl tries and fails."

Rey draws her brows up faintly. "Every semester, huh? How many times have you taken English 12?

Now he's the one looking caught off guard and embarrassed. It brings Rey the tiniest bit of pleasure. 

"None of your business, new girl. I was just trying to be nice and give you a fair warning."

"Yes, you've been quite  _nice_ ," Rey deadpans.

"Look, I- Whatever. You'll see for yourself. Mr. Ren prides himself on being unreadable. Middle-aged douche likes to mess with our heads. Very  _Mr. Jekyll and Dr. Hyde._ "

Apparently all the money on the Upper East Side still can't buy a brain.

She nods slowly. "Thanks then...?"

"Dylan."

"Thanks, Dylan. It looks like it's your turn." During their strange interchange, they were moving up in line.

"Yeah, no problem." Clearly he doesn't understand the most basic sarcasm. "What's your name again?"

"Rey."

"Let me know if you need any more ElRo pointers, Rey." Dylan offers what he clearly believes to be a charming smile. If Rey were actually seventeen and extremely naive, perhaps it would have worked.

"You'll be the first person I think of for help."

Dylan's smile grows into a grin. He really isn't reading into this well.

"Oh and Dylan?" Rey does her best to match his grin, hoping for once she can manage control of her features. Usually her facial expression does little to hide her true feelings. 

"Yeah?"

"It's  _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde._ Read a book."

* * *

 

Rey is spacing out in her Pre-Calc class when she feels a vibration against the chair of her desk.

_I really should have put that on silent..._

Slouching down in the chair, she takes pause to glance around the classroom. No one seems to have heard her phone go off.

Ever so gingerly, Rey slips a hand into her satchel, fingers brushing past loose paper fliers and classroom supply lists until she finds purchase on her slim phone.

In a quick motion she brings the phone up and onto her lap. 

Another pause. The teacher, Ms. Tano, is writing an equation on the blackboard in precise movements. Math has never been Rey's favorite subject, but she remembers enough pre-calculus to take a brief respite.

Rey takes a measured breath before pressing the home button on her phone. 

_(3) New Messages from Finn_

The sight of a familiar name brings a smile to her face. She presses in her four-digit passcode and clicks the messaging app right away.

> **\---- Monday, January 1 ----**
> 
> **– Finn | 1:08 –**
> 
> _Hey Peanut, how's the academic life treating you?_
> 
> _Hux has been breathing down my back all morning for updates._
> 
> _Have you found a story yet?_

Opposing feelings course through her brain. So far, today isn't feeling that much different than her actual senior year. No big surprise there. It's been a little over six years and not much has changed other than perhaps Rey's hairstyle. She would have to make more of an effort to fit in, as opposed to just getting by unnoticed.

Could Hux really expect her to find a story so quickly? His impatience must be reaching great new heights. 

Still, Rey hates the thought of Finn stressing out in her behalf. She's the one who insisted she could make the opportunity a prosperous one.

Her fingers dance across the screen as she composes a response. 

> **– Rey | 1:09 –**
> 
> _I'm sorry you're stuck with the General! So far, so good on my end, I suppose. Story ideas currently include: what's really in the cafeteria's "beef chili" and illiteracy in prosperous students. These kids are supposed to be the next generation of leaders??!_
> 
> _Thoughts?_

A shadow falls across Rey's desk, making her drop the phone haphazardly on her lap. She makes an attempt to pull her textbook over the edge of the desk to hide the evidence.

"Ms. Eliot! Am I boring you?" Ms. Tano's voice pierces the air. She holds out her right hand lethargically. "Cellphone, please," she breathes out with a sigh.

The woman's bright red hair is pulled back into a tight bun, making her features appear more severe and aged. Her face is bare except for some carefully applied white liner on her lower waterline. In reality, she must really only be a few years senior to Rey. But in the current setting, none of that matters. 

"I-I don't have-"

"As if I haven't heard that excuse before. Don't make me ask again." She taps her foot impatiently. 

By now, Rey is for the second time today holding the attention of the class.

_At least I'm being noticed... Would Hux take that as progress?_

Still, she persists. "I'm sorry, Ms. Tano. I promise it won't happen again."

"Well, Ms. Eliot, you've managed to make matters worse for yourself. I was going to hold your phone until the end of class. Now you can pick it up at 4 pm, after detention."

Rey barely manages to contain an eye-roll as she begrudgingly hands over her cellphone. At least her screen locked on its own, the only saving grace to speak of.

* * *

 

The sound of the bell rings melodically, releasing the school from eighth period and out onto the streets. Well, most of the school.

Rey takes her time exiting French class, in no rush to attend the ridiculous detention she's been sentenced. 

_Great job, Jakken. Way to stay under the radar._

She's pretty confident that this isn't the kind of "high school research" Hux has assigned. 

Slinging her satchel over her right shoulder, Rey dawdles along the already emptying hallway of the first floor. Many of the classroom doors are now shut, and through the rectangular glass windows, she can see teachers gathering their personal items before heading home themselves.

After Pre-Calc, Ms. Tano had informed her that detention would be held in the gymnasium from 2:45 to 4.

In her mind, Rey goes over the map of the school, remembering the gym's location in the southern wing of the building. Admittedly, being late for detention would only make her stand out more. Best to get a move on.

She keeps her head down shamefully while she walks in. Earlier for Fitness, the room had seemed much larger. Now it was filled with worse-for-wear old classroom desks and ElRo's own special group of degenerates.

_Which apparently now also describes me._

"Ms. Eliot. Rey. I must admit I'm disappointed to see you in this setting." An unmistakable voice sounds.

_Of course. Of course it would be_ him.  _One mishap apparently isn't enough for the day._

Mr. Ren sets down his paperback novel and slips his tweed jacket down his arms in one fluid motion. He carefully folds it in half before laying it out on his desk.

He looks frazzled as if the day's events were as disorienting to him as to Rey, the bags under his eyes more pronounced.

A nod in her direction, one brow cocked. "Would you care to take a seat?" He asks, running a hand arbitrarily through his hair. Somehow, this small movement makes Rey gulp and avert her eyes.

At least she doesn't have to sit in the front row for this...display.

Rey takes a seat at an empty desk in the third row of four, offering a solemn nod to the girl next to her. "Hello."

The girl twirls a curly strand of mousy brown hair around her finger indifferently, only offering a low grunt in reply without looking up from her notebook.

"No talking," the teacher's deep voice states.

Apparently the other students are all too familiar with the rules of detention, because this is clearly only directed at Rey. 

She opens her mouth to apologize, thinks better of it, and instead opens her satchel.

_Might as well get started on homework._

The thought feels so alien that Rey can't help the giggle that comes next.

"Do we have a problem, Rey?" Mr. Ren asks with a sigh. It's clearly been a long day for everyone, and now here he is, stuck monitoring ElRo's own miscreants.  

"Not at all," she shakes her head. "Sir."

A noncommittal sound is all he offers before drawing his attention back to his book. 

* * *

 

Rey spends detention alternating between imagining her next interaction with Hux and doing homework. Luckily, she doesn't have to report in at the office until Friday after class. It's poor Finn who is stuck there day in and day out with their perfectionist editor-in-chief.

_Finn! He's probably going crazy, wondering why I haven't texted back these past few hours._

The anticipation of getting her phone back only makes the punishment last longer. She notices every voice echoing in the hallway as band practice lets out. Every time Mr. Ren turns a page in his novel. Every time a fellow student accidentally falls asleep and starts to snore before being prodded by their closest neighbor. The buzzing sound as the heater clicks on every fifteen minutes to keep out the January cold.

Somehow, blessedly, four o'clock does eventually arrive.

"Alright, out with you," Mr. Ren's voice booms, startling her out of a daze. "We've all served our time here."

His metal chair screeches as he pushes back on the linoleum floor. "Collect your personal effects." 

From somewhere underneath his desk, he produces a black plastic trash bin. He places it on the corner of the desk as an offering and starts to pull his jacket back on.

It takes all the self-restraint Rey can muster not to run to the front of the room. She purposely takes her time as she replaces her books into her bag, winds the yellow scarf around her neck, and starts to button up her olive jacket. 

Only when most of the students have collected their cellphones and filed out of the room does Rey finally approach the desk. 

Mr. Ren peers into the bin, seeing her phone as the last item, and takes it into hand.

Rey tacks on what she hopes to be an easy-going smile.

_Yes, I have all the time in the world._

She refuses to let him enjoy this advantage over her.

The bin is replaced under the desk and the man casts his eyes downward to meet Rey's gaze. He taps his fingers against the back of the phone case thoughtfully before extending his hand.

Their fingers graze as the exchange is made, neither one of them breaking eye contact. A palpable tension fills the room. The light touch sets Rey's skin ablaze and she doesn't fail to notice the way his eyes widen. 

He inadvertently takes a step back.

"Where did you say you transferred from?" Mr. Ren draws his shoulders back, his height advantage over her looming.

"I didn't. Say, I mean." Rey clicks the home button on her cellphone and glances down.

_(7) New Text Messages from Finn_

_(2) Missed Calls from Finn_

_(1) New Voicemail_

She pockets the device and starts to turn towards the exit.

"Well, where did you come from, Rey?"

The way he says her name, his voice raising an octave, stops her in her tracks. This is the kindest he's sounded all day, aside from his gentle corrections in class.

_Jekyll and Hyde indeed._

Begrudgingly, Rey turns back toward him. 

_He's just a teacher._

_He doesn't truly suspect you._

_Just stick to the story._

"My family just moved here from London. My dad works for a commercial real estate firm. It wasn't my decision," she attempts to shrug casually, "but here I am."

Mr. Ren's body seems to relax slightly, and finally Rey feels she can breathe again.

"Any other questions, or am I free to go?" It's been a long day and Rey needs a drink. She needs to decompress a bit.

_Poe had better be home._

Finally, the educator seems to remember where they are. She is a student, detention is over, and they can't exactly stay here alone. 

"Right, of course," he nods and takes his book off of the desk. "I'll see you tomorrow in class."


	3. January 1 - 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Clearly, I can't trust you two with the slightest bit of responsibility." Hux's gaze directs itself to Rey now. "My secretary will have a minuscule camera and microphone for you on your way out. I'll find the bloody story myself."

"Detention? You?" Poe's hearty laugh echoes into the bottle pressed against his lower lip.

Rey and Poe lounge on their aged couch, drinking the last two bottles of a six pack. 

"It wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be," she decides before taking a swig.

"Wait, stop." Poe sits up a bit straighter, placing a hand on the crook of Rey's nearest arm. "You weren't kidding, this was your first misdemeanor?"

Her eyes roll and she gives his knee a tap with the bottom of her half-empty bottle. "Don't start, please." Rey wrinkles her nose. "I said I wanted to  _relax,_ remember? If I have to be seventeen during the day, I'm going to be every bit of twenty-four when I'm home."

Poe looks bemused at this, raising a single eyebrow before drawing his hand back.

" _Meaning_ I don't want to talk about detention, homework, Mr. Ren, or any other-"

"Mr. Ren, huh?" He baits. 

A frustrated sound emits from the girl's throat. She chooses to finish her beer instead of responding. 

"Oh no, you don't. I should've known it would take you this many drinks to really start talking. Don't hold out on me now,  _sis._ " 

"Thanks for the beers, but I should really be getting to work. I want to be able to tell Finn I've at least come up with the bare bones of a story." Rey moves to get up, but finds the room moving along with her. 

She pushes a hand against her forehead, kneading on her temples with the thumb and middle finger. "Or maybe I'll just sit here a bit longer." 

Poe finishes his drink and sets the bottle down on the scuffed wooden table in front of them. He scoots over until their arms almost touch. "Take it easy, you had a long day. I can relate, Holdo was riding me to finish a repair a week ahead of schedule." He scoffs. "Old man gets more impatient every day."

"I'm a terrible person, I didn't even ask about your day!" Her voices comes out louder than she means it to.

"It's fine. I just want you to talk to me. All weekend you were hiding out in your room, rehearsing for this assignment. I remember high-school-Rey pretty well, you know?" Poe's eyes soften as they meet hers. "You wouldn't let anyone see how amazing you are. If I had a second chance like this, I would use it. Maybe I'd actually buckle down and get that aeronautical engineering degree. Use my talents in the sky..."

Rey's soft gasp comes out mostly as a hiccup. "But you always say you're happy you didn't go to college! Now I feel like the odd man out."

"I didn't want you to feel sorry for me. Besides, I have it pretty good. Look at this castle I got for us." Poe gestures around the small living room grandly.

This earns him a small laugh. Poe always made the best of things. His optimism kept Rey's spirits afloat on more occasions than she could count while they were in the foster system. 

"Now look at me and promise me you're going to use this opportunity, for the both of us." Poe slides his left leg up the couch and tucks the foot under his right knee, angling his body towards her. "You're going to go in there and get your story, show that bumbling fool Hux what an idiot he was to not have set you loose earlier. You're going to write the best undercover piece  _The Times_ has ever seen."

Rey nods along vaguely as he talks, wanting desperately to believe him, but lacking Poe's confidence.

He places both of his hands on her shoulders, planting Rey here in the moment. "I'm serious, Rey. Repeat after me.  _I am going to write the best piece_ The Times  _has ever seen._ "

"Poe, this is silly. We're both a little drunk..." She trails off, not meeting his gaze.

"Just say it, let the words give you power," he insists, rubbing a thumb against her humerus.

Rey sighs before softly saying, "I am going to write the best piece  _The Times_ has ever seen." 

This earns her a patented Poe Dameron grin, his curved features turning up like the Cheshire Cat. 

"Atta girl. Louder now." 

"I am going to write the best piece  _The Times_ has ever seen!" Poe's positivity feels infectious, and Rey can feel her heart speeding up. 

"One more time for good measure?"

"I'm going to write the best piece  _The Times_ has ever seen!" Rey shouts. 

A banging on the shared wall behind the television follows her outburst, but it doesn't sully her newfound mood. Rey beams at Poe.

_I'm going to show everyone. Most importantly, I will do this for me._

* * *

 

The rest of the school week finds Rey in good spirits. She stays on top of her work, some of which doesn't come as naturally as expected. Interactions with her teachers are brief and by all standards normal. The phrase  _teacher's pet_ isn't pointed anywhere near Rey. She even finds herself getting chummy with some of her classmates.

By the time the last bell rings on Friday afternoon, Rey is walking out of the classroom with her new friend and English class savior, Rose Tico.

"I think you'll get along with everyone else really well! Please take the weekend to think it over," Rose pleads.

She's been trying to get Rey to sign up for the school's poetry club all day without any luck. Normally, it's the kind of thing with her name written all over it. But, wouldn't you know, the club is supervised by the peculiar Mr. Kylo Ren.

Nothing alarming occured after Monday's detention, but something is compelling Rey to really try and limit their interactions. If anything poses a threat to her cover here, it's the strange teacher and his pervading eyes. They seem to be aware of something that the rest of the school is not.

Still, Rose's virtuous face isn't easy to turn down.

"I promise I'll think about it," Rey concedes.

Rose's face lights up in a large smile. "That's all I ask. And you won't regret it!"

The pair stops at the front doors of the school, Rey returning the smile with a modest one of her own. "I'll see you Monday. Enjoy your weekend."

Their friendship is new enough that a goodbye hug doesn't feel merited, but a handshake would be awkward. Rey settles for a flittering wave.

A giggle escapes Rose's lips. "You're a funny one, Rey Eliot."

She tightens the strap of her pastel pink backpack, giving Rey a quick once over. In one swift motion Rose embraces the taller girl in an all-enveloping hug.

Just as quickly, Rey is released and Rose is offering a funny little wave of her own. "See you Monday!"

* * *

The New York Times Building is a short walk from the Times Square-42nd Street Station. Seeing it for the first time in a week makes Rey's heart race. Feelings of excitement and insignificance duel inside her mind.

Rey scans her badge upon entering the building, exchanging a courteous smile with an unfamiliar security guard before walking towards the elevators.

_Nick must still be on holiday._

She presses the lit button and produces her cellphone out of the leather satchel slung over her shoulder. A brief text is composed and sent to Finn.

> **\---- Friday, January 5 ----**
> 
> **– Rey | 3:18 –**
> 
> _In the building. See you soon!_

Stainless steel doors open and Rey steps aside to let the few passengers file out before entering alone. She taps  _4_ and takes a deep breath, holding it until the count of seven before slowly releasing the air through her nostrils. 

Calmness is key. It's a joke around the office that Hux can smell fear in the air. There's no way she will be giving him the pleasure. 

"I'm going to write the best piece  _The Times_ has ever seen," she whispers to herself, attempting to gain the feeling of optimism she felt on Monday night with Poe.

A small bell chimes, alerting Rey that her ride is now over. 

Finn is right there as the lift doors open and he smiles at the sight of her. "Welcome home, Peanut!"

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Rey wraps Finn up in a warm hug and gives his arm a squeeze when she lets him go.

"Glad to be of service." He places a hand at the small of her back as they navigate the fourth floor. "I thought you said you were going to change though?"

_Oh. That._

Rey's current ensemble is nothing like her usual office wear. Cozy black leggings tucked into knee-high suede boots and a trendy blue sherpa pullover. 

In all the rush she felt to get here, somehow bringing a change of clothes slipped her mind.

"I'm sorry! I stayed up late last night finishing my French paper and overslept. I barely made it to first period on time!" Rey's words tumble together all in the same breath.

A nervous laugh bubbles forth. "Jeez, you really do sound like a teenager. Good job, I guess?"

"I'm glad you find my struggles amusing," she chides teasingly. 

They stop walking, the door to Hux's office now just a stride away.

"What's our plan again?" Rey asks, eyes firmly focused on the closed metal door.

"We pitch our ideas and pray to God that they're what he wants to hear." Finn adjusts his slim white tie, already perfectly placed.

"Let's get this over with, then."

Rey steps forward and knocks  _shave and a hair cut._  After a brief moment of silence, she knocks again,  _two bits._

_"Are you amusing yourself out there? Enter!"_

She turns the handle and enters with Finn at her heels.

Armitage Hux looks as menacing as ever, sitting in a rich black leather chair behind the marble and steel desk. His office is a power play in itself. There are no actual chairs for guests, just one tiny metal stool next to the large walnut bookshelf. A chessboard that has been left unfinished is the only semblance of character among the monochromatic furnishings.

Keys clack loudly as his fingers fly across the keyboard, making his audience wait for his attention. 

"What do you have for me?" Hux demands in a posh Irish accent, eyes still directed at his computer monitor.

Finn answers, always careful not to let on that his subordinate is also a close friend. "Rey is making excellent progress. She's been pitching ideas to me all week."

This isn't exactly a lie, they have been in contact every day after school. But Rey hasn't come up with any further ideas since Monday.

Silence lingers uncomfortably.

"...And?" Hux eventually huffs.

"It's going to be an inside look at the literacy of wealthy families and how this will impact our nation's future." 

It actually sounds like a decent idea when Finn says it. In reality, they're grasping at straws. 

Hux looks at the pair for the first time, his light green eyes narrowed. "You're not serious."

"Um, well, that's just one idea," Rey's voice comes out sounding small.

Finn's eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets. This is not part of the plan. He is meant to do the talking. 

"It's only been a week sir, I just need a little more time," Rey continues. A weak smile flashes, but doesn't reach up to her eyes. 

"More  _time?_ Do you have any idea the strings I had to pull to even get you this assignment?" Hux's mouth twitches in the corner and he forcefully stands up out of the chair and bounds over to them.

He stops right in front of Finn, so close that the younger man is forced to look up at the editor-in-chief. 

"You assured me that Ms. Jakken could handle the assignment. I'll have  _both_ of your jobs if she fails." Somehow the fact that Hux has lowered his voice only makes him more intimidating. 

"Yes, sir," Finn says, his voice measured.

"Clearly, I can't trust you two with the slightest bit of responsibility." Hux's gaze directs itself to Rey now. "My secretary will have a minuscule camera and microphone for you on your way out. I'll find the bloody story myself."

* * *

 

"Exactly how many people will be watching this? Ow-" Rey whimpers into the phone as the back of the small enamel pin presses into her thumb. "Hold on a second."

She adjusts her grip, moving the cellphone between her right ear and shoulder. Focusing, Rey carefully tacks the pin onto the collar of her button-down and attaches the rubber back. "There." 

To the untrained eye, Rey looks like she's accessorizing with a small spaceship pin. In reality, that pin houses a tiny camera with a direct feed to floor four of  _The New York Times_. A small microphone is also connected but out of sight, attached to the inside of her blouse.

The sounds of a busy morning at the office become white noise on Finn's end of the phone call. "Let's test this thing out. Wave hello to Mr. Hux, Katherine and I." 

Rey stands up a little straighter and attempts a smile at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She waves with her free hand. "Hello?"

"Excellent, everything appears to be working. Good luck today," Finn's tone is suddenly all business.

A faint beep sounds in Rey's ear.

_Finn hung up without saying goodbye!_

With a small sigh, Rey pockets her cellphone. She gives herself a once-over, adjusting the enamel pin, and then turns out the bathroom light.

Almost immediately a tell-tale tone sounds. Rey digs the phone out of her jeans while making her way down the narrow hallway, stopping in the kitchen. She grabs an apple from the fruit basket and takes a large bite before unlocking her phone.

_(1) New Text Message from Finn_

A glance at the clock above the stove tells her that the bus will be outside of the building in two minutes. Angling the phone so it's not in sight of her pin, Rey reads the message.

> **\---- Monday, January 9 ----**
> 
> **– Finn | 7:42 –**
> 
> _I'm sorry, there were sensitive ears listening in to the phone call. Don't worry though, Hux isn't really going to watch everything. I literally just heard him say "this is below my paygrade" before ordering Katherine to bring him the highlights. If it makes you feel any better, I'll be watching your day and rooting for you._

She smiles thoughtfully. A small solace is better than none. 

Her reply is typed as she walks towards the front door, school bag shouldered. 

> **– Rey | 7:43 –**
> 
> _Thanks for believing in me, Peanut._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of characters were introduced this chapter, so I hope the pacing feels alright. 
> 
> The second half of the chapter accidentally got deleted and I'm still not as happy with it as I was with the first draft. Grr.
> 
> I adore your feedback and constructive criticism!


	4. February 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The point here is that disguise can be liberating. It can get you to do things you never thought possible." Mr. Ren gestures with his copy of the play. "And for Rosalind, her male costume opens the possibilities for the great love of her life."

* * *

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." Rose finishes the reading with a reverential sigh and takes her seat.

Rey sits at the desk next to her, eyes somewhat glazed over, still lost in the narrative. Distantly, she recognizes a voice interrupting her thoughts.

"Does anyone have an idea as to what Shakespeare meant by that?" Mr. Ren asks, lowering his copy of _As You Like It_. His free hand comes up and absentmindedly strokes his chin, chocolate brown eyes scanning the classroom. 

At some point between class Friday and today, he had shaved. 

Rey has spent most of first period trying and failing to keep her thoughts about his new look in check. 

_He looks so much younger now._

_Not that he looked_ old  _before._

_I kind of miss the scruff._

The teacher starts to pace the classroom, walking between rows and desks, peering down at the students.

His restlessness is something Rey became aware of her first day of at ElRo, more than a month ago. It makes him look like a tiger endlessly marching from one end of its cage to the other.

When no one volunteers an answer, Mr. Ren continues. "It's about disguise. Playing a part. This is one of the major themes in  _As You Like It_. Can someone tell me where we see this?"

From the middle of the classroom, a hand hesitantly raises. 

"Yes, Hallie?"

Hallie straightens in her seat. "Well, Rosalind disguises herself as a man and escapes into the forest."

This earns her a smile. Rey doesn't fail to take notice.

"Correct. It's when Rosalind is in costume that she finally feels liberated enough to express her love for Orlando." Mr. Ren stops pacing in the back corner of the classroom, forcing heads to turn. "Shakespeare's making the point that when we're disguised, we feel freer. We do things we wouldn't normally do in our own lives."

His words resonate with Rey in a way she's never felt while reading Shakespeare. It makes her feel almost uncomfortable. This man could easily see through her disguise, and yet he fails to. 

She begins to lightly chew on her bottom lip.

_Do I feel freer? Or more shackled than usual?_

Mr. Ren resumes his saunter, this time walking the room's perimeter. "Dylan, what happens when you go out on the football field in your uniform?"

The rude boy from the cafeteria responds immediately. "We win!" He pumps his fist in the air proudly, the gesture repeated by a few other kids around the room.

Uncontained whoops of delight echo to the sound of "Go Huskies!"

Mr. Ren's hand cuts the air with a swivel of his wrist and the room silences. "You push people. You yell. Sometimes you touch other guys' butts."

Dylan's pleased expression falters. The classroom erupts in laughter. 

Stopping in front of Dylan's desk, Mr. Ren allows a chortle of his own. "That's okay though, because you're in uniform. Disguise changes the rules."

Rey abruptly bites down on her lip, sharp teeth finding purchase in the tender skin violently enough to draw blood. She instinctively runs her tongue along the puncture and swallows back the metallic-tasting liquid.

_The rules became more restrictive with my disguise..._

Mr. Ren resumes his normal stance in front of his desk. An unhindered smile lights up his face. "When I was seven, I went through a superhero phase. One day, my father brought home a Spider-Man pajama set with matching mask. I was positive that it gave me superpowers. I wore it every day for about a month, even to school," he laughs in a soft, nostalgic way. 

At her desk, Rey finds herself mirroring his relaxed expression. Seeing him smile is contagious. 

"Believe it or not, I was a pretty shy kid. But when I wore my Spider-Man costume, I felt invincible. I was making friends at recess and participating more in class, finally acting like the son my father expected me to be." Mr. Ren's smile falters briefly. "On the playground one day, I tried to use my "superpowers" to jump from the top of the jungle gym onto the slide."

"Did you make it?" Clara calls out. 

"To the nurses' office and the Emergency Room," he replies with a coy smile. "The point here is that disguise can be liberating. It can get you to do things you never thought possible." Mr. Ren gestures with his copy of the play. "And for Rosalind, her male costume opens the possibilities for the great love of her life."

At this moment more than anything, Rey hopes Katherine, if she's watching, is losing interest. It's not a feeling she can explain beyond vulnerability.  

"Rey, why don't you read from Act 5, Scene 2, Rosalind's speech." 

"For your brother and my sister-" she begins.

"Standing," he states shortly, and then adds, "please."

The rest of the classroom has their heads down, ready to follow along. But as Rey stands up from her seat, Mr. Ren peers intently at her. His face betrays nothing.

She clears her throat before continuing. "No sooner met but they looked; no sooner looked but they loved; no sooner loved but they sighed; no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason; no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage..."

* * *

 

The bell sounds, effectively ending first period. Pandemonium ensues as students flock out into the hallway. Rey still stands, clutching her copy of  _As You Like It_ tightly. 

_Wow, I really zoned out there._

"Ms. Eliot, a word?" 

He goes back and forth between addressing her distantly and familiarly. It keeps Rey on her toes, always mildly curious as to the way he views her.

"Yes, Mr. Ren?" She starts to repack her satchel with her back to him.

"Please, I've asked you to call me Kylo outside of class," his voice sounds from a mere yard behind her.

Hearing his first name again is mildly disorienting. Almost as if he's just a regular man she could've met anywhere.

_But you didn't!_

Instead of responding directly, Rey raises an eyebrow as she turns back around and places her bag on the desk. "Aren't we still in class?"

She presses her lips together firmly to hold back a grin.

"Yes, but- Right now I'm just talking to you as your poetry club supervisor." There his hand goes again, kneading at the smooth skin of a now bare chin.

Rey files this action in the back of her mind under:  _Things You Shouldn't Notice About Your Teacher(s)_

"I'll call you Kylo if you agree to only refer to me as Rey." She's been getting too used to her false surname anyway.

"Fair enough,  _Rey._ I wanted to ask about the poem you read for the group yesterday."

Her heart begins to speed up. She's been pointedly only sharing pieces she wrote as an undergrad, hoping they would sound more juvenile than her more recent works.

"Hmm?"

"The emotive language you use is quite powerful. I know it's not my place to ask, but I'm not especially good at following social cues..." Mr. Ren- Kylo's eyes seem to soften. He doesn't break their contact, and for once this doesn't leave Rey feeling uncomfortable. "Have you..er, lost someone close to you?"

Rey can't help but force her eyes shut. They stay that way for a moment, and then she starts blinking rapidly. This does nothing to stop full tears from forming.

 _Rey Eliot moved to Manhattan with her parents. This doesn't fit in with my story. What a bloody_ idiot  _I am!_

Kylo misinterprets her tears, taking one large step to close the gap between his desk and hers. He sits lightly on the desk Rose had previously been occupying so that their faces are level.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I should have just complimented your poem and left it at that." Hesitantly, he reaches out and brushes his thumb and first three fingers against her shoulder. Just as quickly his touch is withdrawn.

"It's alright," Rey manages to almost control the quiver in her voice. A fat tear rolls down her cheek. She wipes it away roughly and drops her gaze. 

_You have to lie now._

"When I was eight, I did. Lose someone. It felt like the end of the world, like the tightness in my chest would always be there. Marking me as different. But life kept going on around me and I realized I had to either join in, or be left behind permanently. So I went through the motions, and one day I realized I couldn't remember the, uh, face of...that person anymore. The pain never went away, but it became more of a dull throbbing. Easier to bury and ignore."

She lifts her head, embarrassed she's said so much. Somehow she managed to tell him the truth, leaving out only that it was two people, not one. Both her parents.

Rey finds understanding in Kylo's eyes. Her pain reflected impeccably. He doesn't need to say anything, to tell her of his own suffering.

_Brrrrrnnnnngggg!_

The sound of the second bell pulls them from the trance. 

Kylo is the first one to react, jumping up from the desk.  

Looming over Rey, he once again looks like the authority figure that he should be. That he is.

"I'm sorry, I have to get to second period," she says at the same moment that he speaks. "Thank you for trusting me."

Rey nods lightly, suddenly feeling the need to be somewhere, anywhere other than here. She throws her bag over her shoulder and heads for the door as fast as her feet can carry her.

"You have so much talent, Rey. Keep writing the truth."

* * *

 

For the rest of the day, Rey's phone is unusually silent. 

It's not until she's sprawled on her twin bed, dinner eaten and classwork finished, that her phone springs to life. 

_Armitage "The General" Hux is Calling..._

"Oh, crud," she mutters. 

_Maybe if I ignore him, he'll think I went to sleep._

The phone seems to ring longer than usual before the screen goes black.

For a moment, Rey feels relieved. 

Until it starts to ring again. 

_Armitage "The General" Hux is Calling..._

Swallowing hard, Rey reaches for the device on her desk. She breathes in deeply and slides a finger across the screen to accept the call. "Hello?"

Hux immediately begins to talk over her. "That's your story!"

She sits up on her bed, leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry?"

Her phone immediately buzzes with a text. Rey clicks it open on impulse. 

A large, pixelated image of Kylo pops up. In the picture, he's leaning towards her, his arm out of the shot. 

Her stomach turns. "Mr. Hux, I don't know what you're saying-"

"He's your story. It's got it all- sex, intrigue, immorality in the education system." He somehow manages to sound proud and bored all in the same breath. As if this is all so obvious. 

"I can't, he's my teacher," her voice is softer now, almost pleading.

Hux laughs in one short burst. "That's the best part! I can see the headline now- _Teacher-Student Relations: How Close is Too Close?_ We're going to blow the lid off it!"

"No, there is no lid," Rey insists. "There's nothing going on between Kylo and me. Er, Mr. Ren and me."

A groan sounds. "Not yet, maybe. But something is there. Every person on the fourth floor has been coming in to watch you two. It's like a bloody Regency film!"

Rey's jaw unhinges. She is mortified. "The whole office is watching?"

"This isn't a joke, Ms. Jakken.  _He_ is your story." Hux's tone is finite. "Good night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for a shorter chapter! Work has been taking a lot out of me. But hopefully this just means you'll get another update sooner!


	5. March 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh. Mr. Ren, this is Finn. My..." Rey whips her head in her friend's direction, eyes pleading with Finn to supply an answer.
> 
> "Her boyfriend," Finn finishes.

"...I can't bear to be around him anymore, Finn. Kylo is a good man and he didn't ask to be swept up in this," Rey fidgets with the straw in her drink. "You were right, I'm not ready." Almost as an afterthought, she mumbles, "I quit."

Finn sits at the large chair next to hers in the Midtown lounge. Earlier in the afternoon she'd sent him a text, telling him she needed a drink, but somewhere she wouldn't risk being recognized. Finn had polled the office, and eventually come up with Raines Law Room at The William, a boutique hotel not far from the office. Its Prohibition Era atmosphere and cozy seating had put Rey at ease immediately. Surely, no one from the uptown high school would be here. At least not on a weeknight. 

So she'd changed out of her school clothes, ditched the spaceship pin, and met Finn just shy of seven in the evening. 

The dress she's wearing is one picked out by the shop girl at H&M, form-fitting teal blue fabric with lace strips along the collarbone and darted up her thighs. It's not something Rey ever would have picked out for herself, but it feels like a welcome change from the endless leggings and adolescent tops she's been living in. Rey wears her hair in a loose bun atop her head, face free of makeup except for lightly applied sable eyeliner.

Her companion takes a small sip from his snifter glass, savoring the caramel colored liquid. Replacing the drink on the marble coffee table in front of them, Finn shakes his head. "You keep saying you want to be a reporter, right?"

Rey hesitantly replies, "Yes."

"Then you need to  _think_ like a reporter. This doesn't have to be personal, in fact, it shouldn't be. Being a journalist is all about knowing your audience and following a story through to the end." He places the palm of his hand along his jaw, leaning on his elbow against the plush pink armrest. Finn sighs, "My instincts are telling me you're already too attached."

"C'mon, Peanut," she implores, offering him a polished smile. "You know me better than that. In all the time you've known me, have I ever been keen on someone?" 

"No..."

"Exactly. So why would I, after a short couple of months, suddenly become besotted with an emotionally unavailable teacher?" Rey gulps down an inch of her drink, forfeiting the straw. This isn't entirely true, but what Finn doesn't know in this particular case can't hurt him.

She reaches out to place her free hand against his forearm. Finn drops his look of scrutiny, now focusing on her small hand. 

In a detached section of her brain, Rey realizes that playing on her friend's emotions is wrong. Finn has always been more than a boss to her, but she's never let it go any further. There have been small moments, easy to overlook, where Finn has hinted at wanting something more. When that happens, she consistently plays coy and changes the subject, or physically takes a step back. 

_You're selfish._

Rey pushes this thought back with another swig of her drink. 

"That doesn't sound like you, you're right," Finn doesn't sound entirely convinced, but at least his demeanor has softened.

This answer earns him a bright smile. "There, was agreeing with me so difficult?"

"I'm not entirely persuaded, but we can leave your personal sentiments aside for now." Finn cups a hand over hers, delicately stroking his thumb across her knuckles. 

The touch feels only familial to Rey, so she doesn't pull away.

"I have to agree with Hux here," Finn laughs sourly, "I can't believe I just said that." 

She mirrors his laugh while shrugging one shoulder, tugging the skirt of her dress down closer to her knees. Her pale winter skin looks ashen in the dim lighting of the lounge. "Neither can I."

"Please stick with the story. The more time you spend with him, the quicker it'll be over. Hux has decided to start monitoring your footage himself, so I'm sure he'll find something soon." His eyes look pitch-black in the candlelight.

Rey sighs, defeated. At this point, there's not much she can do to stop this, short of skipping town. But then all the hard work from her past year at  _The Times_ will have been for nothing. 

"What do you think of all this? I know you've been watching, too." She distracts herself by chewing on the cocktail straw.

"I... Know you better than most people at work," Finn prefaces. "I'd be lying if I said you haven't changed recently."

She wrinkles her nose. "Changed, in what way?"

"Not in a bad way!" He rushes to add. "Is the term 'blossoming' too strange?"

Unsure how to think of this, Rey crosses and uncrosses her ankles, visually scanning the large bookshelves occupying the opposite end of the room. "It depends on how you mean it." 

"Putting Hux breathing down our necks aside, this seems to be a good experience for you. You've made new friends, albeit young ones, and you've been much more outgoing at the office. Also,  _poetry club_? Rey Jakken, participating in a voluntary after-school activity." They share a mutual chuckle. "A little extroversion suits you." 

"Thank you, then."

_"Rey?"_

A familiar voice interrupts their conversation from behind. Rey subconsciously snatches her hand back from Finn and they both turn their heads towards the figure in the doorway. She slides her nearly finished glass next to a candle on the side table between her and Finn.

Kylo Ren stands with a look of curiosity etched in his brows. He's dressed down from his usual work attire, a thick slate-colored sweater casually half-tucked into a pair of dark denim jeans. The left sleeve of his sweater is inched up slightly, revealing a wide silver watch. The subdued light of the room casts a dark shadow across his cheeks, no longer smooth from his morning shave.

It takes Rey an embarrassingly long moment to notice the woman standing beside him. Judging from her rouged cheeks and possessive body language, Rey ascertains that the pair are on a date.

"Hello, Mr. Ren."

The wounded look that flashes across his face is unmissable. 

_Good._

She has no right to feeling vindictive, but the emotion persists.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Kylo remarks as if they are the only two people in the room. He studies her intently, no doubt trying to marry the image of the girl in the juvenile halls of ElRo and the elegant woman that currently sits before him.

"I could say the same." It's the truth. When Rey pictures Kylo in his personal life, she imagines him as the type to frequent a crowded bar. The kind of tucked-away joint in DUMBO where the bartender would have his drink of choice memorized. But now that he stands before her in this posh setting, it seems just as fitting.

From the chair next to Rey, Finn clears his throat loudly.

"Oh. Mr. Ren, this is Finn. My..." Rey whips her head in her friend's direction, eyes pleading with Finn to supply an answer.

"Her boyfriend," Finn finishes.

He says it with such ease that it takes Rey by surprise. Still, she nods, hoping this suffices. "My boyfriend," Rey repeats.

Kylo doesn't seemed perturbed by this. "Pleased to meet you, Finn," Kylo steps further into the room, his date following. Finally, he seems to remember her presence. "Jyn, this is one of my students, Rey Eliot." The petite brunette offers a smile, comfortable now that the seated girl no longer poses a threat. "Rey, I'll pretend I didn't see you here if you keep this chance encounter to yourself as well."

Rey fights a heavy eye-roll, plastering on what she hopes will be construed as a gracious smile.

"Good to meet you both," Jyn says.

"You too." Rey can't help but notice the physical similarities between her and Kylo's date. Similar English accent, shoulder-length dark hair, small build also dwarfed next to Kylo's stature. Only lucid green eyes contrast with Rey's brown ones.

A feeling of restlessness captures Rey now, and she scoots to the front of her seat.

"Please, don't leave on our account," Kylo requests. "In fact, may we sit for a moment?" He uses the first two fingers of his right hand to gesture to the matching pink plush seats across from Finn and Rey.

"Go right ahead," Finn speaks up. He slides to the side of his chair, nearing Rey, and lightly places a hand over her knee.

Rey gives him a frosty side-eye, which only makes him smile. 

_Weasel!_

Kylo and Jyn take their seats, much to Jyn's obvious dismay.

"Finn, I don't recognize you from any of my classes. Do you attend another school in the city?"

"Sort of, I'm a sophomore at...Fordham," he replies, supplying Rey's actual alma mater.

"Great place. Keating Hall has some beautiful grounds." Kylo focuses back on Rey, fidgeting in her chair. "Will you be joining him in the fall?"

"I wasn't planning on going to college," she says weakly.

This clearly upsets Kylo. He leans over the coffee table, his head cocked to the side. "What? Of course you are. Rey, you owe it to yourself- to your writing, to go to college. You're a great writer. You just have to find your story."

_If only he could recognize the irony in his words._

The room seems to warm up without notice, Rey's nerves causing sweat to prickle under her arms. A lump forms in her throat that she can't swallow down. 

Not caring that Kylo thinks she's seventeen, Rey reaches for the drink she'd tucked away, knocks back the remaining liquid and stands up forcefully. 

"I just remembered that it's a weeknight and I have a, um, curfew. Finn-" Rey drops her eyes and pulls the confining material of her dress down, "walk me to the subway?"

With a far too pleased expression, Finn stands up as well. "Of course, Peanut." He reaches for her hand, finding the palm already clammy.

"Enjoy the rest of your date." Rey presses her lips into a strained smile. 

At this point, Jyn appears to be more than mildly annoyed. She was clearly not expecting "teenagers" to impose upon her evening.

Kylo's gaze flits between Rey's face, the pair's clasped hands and, briefly, down the length of Rey's cocktail dress.

Her cheeks heat up under his scrutiny, and she silently prays that this goes unnoticed in the dim lighting.

"Indeed," Kylo finally agrees, releasing Rey from the interaction.

She exhales the breath she didn't know she'd been holding in and tugs Finn's hand towards the exit, only too eager to escape.

_Why does it feel like I'm always running away from him?_

"Oh, and Rey?"

"Yes?"

"I trust your evening won't get in the way of the essay due tomorrow." The way he enunciates  _evening_ leaves little to the imagination. 

Rey would swear she almost detects a growl in his voice.

 _Is he_ jealous _? Of Finn?_

"Of course not," she replies, and then walks through the doorway without another glance behind.

* * *

 

"I'm so angry with Finn," Rey huffs as she paces from one end of the quaint living room to the other. "He's supposed to be my friend! The last time I checked, friendship includes not letting someone suffer unnecessarily!"

Poe sits hunched over the coffee table, only paying Rey a little attention as he sketches. "Uh-huh."

"I know I got myself into this, but the least he could do is take my side!"

"Mm, yep."

"And why'd he say he was my boyfriend? There are a dozen other aliases he could've used!"

"Alias, good show," Poe replies vaguely.

Rey stops pacing and lets out a fatigued sigh. "Poe Dameron. I thought you were listening to me."

Sitting up from his work-in-progress, Poe pats the cushion next to him. "Sorry, sis."

She kicks off her shoes before joining him, sinking down onto the comfortably worn couch. Rey tucks her knees together underneath her and begins to let out her bun. "How was work today? Holdo decide to pull his weight yet?"

"Nah, but that's nothing new. Old man's getting close to retirement age. I'm playing a long game of 'yes,sir', and hoping he'll give up his half of the business under market value when the time comes."

"Or you could go back to school," Rey offers, her tone conspiratorial. 

"And what? Live in a household of two students? Explain to me how that'd work," Poe chuckles.

Rey's hair cascades around her face, kinked from the hair tie. She runs a hand through it thoughtfully. "I won't be undercover forever. I may not even finish the semester."

"What, why not?" 

"You know I can't do what Hux wants, I'm not going to ruin this man's life."

"Rey," he playfully pokes her side, "in case you've forgotten, you're a grown woman. Not an actual teenager."

"He doesn't know that, Poe. I think-" Rey purses her lips for a moment, "I think somewhere, deep down, he knows something's off. But I can't keep leading him on with a piece of fiction." 

Poe nods, his freshly washed and ungelled hair sweeping across his forehead. "Then don't lead him on. Be a reporter. Act like you're doing Mr. Hux's bidding, but keep digging for your own story. And then, when this is all over," he shrugs, "who knows? Maybe Kylo Ren isn't just a footnote in the story of Rey Jakken."

Without meaning to, Rey smiles a wide, toothy grin. Poe catches her with a knowing smile of his own.

"What's that smile for?" Rey attempts to push down the fluttering in her stomach. "That was good advice. The first part, I mean."

Shaking his head, Poe curves back over his drawing. "Yeah, whatever. You can't fool me, Rey. I've known you for the better half of my life and I knew this day was bound to come eventually." He picks up the charcoal pencil and begins to trace back over a line he'd already made, darkening it.

"Oh, and what day is that?" Rey's voice comes breathily, her heartbeat increasing.

"The day you finally fall for someone." Poe replies without missing a beat, the words unmistakable. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poe Dameron, you smarty pants!
> 
> Also, here are some [pictures](http://oi65.tinypic.com/29wjux3.jpg) of the [bar](http://oi64.tinypic.com/2h2m49h.jpg).


	6. March 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You're dressed up nicely," Kylo states. "And I like the, uh," he gestures along the back of his head, "hairdo."
> 
> If her cheeks weren't painfully red before, they are now. His compliments, however small, make Rey's whole body tingle with excitement.
> 
> "Thank you, I used to wear it like this all the time in-" abruptly she catches herself, "middle school."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies in advance.

Rey and Rose sit together at the wooden table in the library, both girls huddled over their homework. It's a custom they put in place when they realized that over half of their classes are shared. Now they pool ideas and bounce theories off one another for an hour after school each day.

Mild gossip also ensues.

"Is it just me, or is the English sub even scarier than Mr. Ren?" Rose asks as she finishes writing a paragraph. 

Rey stifles a giggle by biting down into the eraser of her pencil. _Scarier_ isn't quite the word she would use. "He certainly drones on more than Mr. Ren ever has."

"You've got that right," Rose agrees, blowing air up into her bangs, making them flutter before settling back down onto her forehead. "I wonder where Mr. Ren's been all week."

The sentence is spoken casually, a passing remark. As if that isn't the exact thing Rey herself has been wondering, try not to as she might. 

After the embarrassing encounter at The William, Rey had made herself scarce. She'd sat in the back of English class without comment and made up a weak excuse to get out of the poetry club's weekly meeting. 

Now it appears that Kylo is doing the same thing. He's been absent since class the previous Friday.

Wild thoughts on his whereabouts have been filling Rey's mind far more than she cares to admit. So far the top contender is that Kylo and Jyn are cocooned in a love nest somewhere, throwing caution and their responsibilities to the wind. 

"Does your pencil taste good?" Rose teases.

Rey pulls the pencil from her mouth with a  _pop_ and smiles sheepishly. "Not as tasty as I imagined it would be."

Her stomach growls audibly, punctuating the statement. 

Closing her notebook, Rose's dark eyes widen. "You should come over for dinner! My mom's making  _bún chả._ "

"I wouldn't want to intrude upon a family dinner," Rey says carefully. 

She's become close to Rose over the past few months, but getting together off school grounds could present new challenges. The environment wouldn't be controlled and there was sure to be lots of small talk. Rey would need to be very in-character to pass a parental examination.

"It's barely a family dinner. My sister Paige is bringing her new boyfriend over," Rose sticks her tongue out distastefully. "If anything, you'll make the evening  _less_ awkward." Clasping her hands together, she exaggeratedly makes her lower lip quiver. "Please?" 

_If I can convince a whole faculty of teachers that I'm just another student, what danger can one family pose?_

"Alright, you've persuaded me," Rey agrees. "Your lunches always smell so good that I've been secretly wanting to try some of your mom's cooking anyway. What can I bring?"

* * *

 

Morton Williams Supermarket is crowded with patrons picking up last minute ingredients. Rey is familiar with the local chain, though it's not a grocery store she frequents. The 1st and 72nd Street location is situated in the heart of Manhattan, surrounded by different banks. It feels more upscale than her usual City Fresh Market or ALDI.

With a basket slung over her arm, she makes another circle around the prepared foods section.

After she and Rose left the library, Rey had spent the better part of the afternoon rummaging through her closet. She wanted to look youthful but not childish. Mature but not entirely grown-up. 

It turns out that striking the perfect balance had been much easier in theory. 

The outfit she managed to put together consists of fitted burgundy jeans, a collared floral blouse, and a pair of pointed black pumps. Rey offset the polished look with a hair style she often wore back in school: three buns crowning down her head. 

In this turn about the store, the bakery case catches Rey's attention.

Rose had said she didn't need to bring anything, but coming to dinner empty-handed seemed impolite. 

_Everyone likes dessert, perfect._

With newfound determination, Rey weaves past other customers to create the shortest path...and manages to shoulder someone unwittingly in the process.

"Excuse me! Are you alright?" Her apology comes instantaneously. 

Rubbing her shoulder, Rey looks up at her accidental victim and her mouth falls agape.

_Him!_

"Rey," Kylo says simply. It's obvious he wasn't expecting to see her.

The relief Rey feels at beholding him comes without her bidding. It's like all the tension in her body is flooding out.

Her knees literally go weak.

She staggers backward and almost goes down, but Kylo's hand shoots out to steady her elbow in the nick of time.

"Whoa, there. Did you wind yourself while trying to knock me out?" He starts to laugh and finishes it with a deep cough.

Rey nods rigorously, trying and failing to form words. 

Kylo clears his throat, the sound phlegmy, and withdraws his hand.

Blinking, Rey takes in the sight of him clearly now.

Hair more disheveled than usual, redness around his nose, the scruffy beard of a few days without shaving - the man has obviously come down with something. 

_Perhaps there was no love nest after all._

Further evidence of this theory comes in his strange choice of attire. Normally Kylo looks practiced and put-together. But now he stands before her in thick red flannel pants, quite possibly pajamas, and black hoodie zipped halfway over a t-shirt advertising the band  _Supreme Leader_. Two cans of soup and a Gatorade sit in the basket on his arm.

"Sorry about that, I have a one-track mind when it comes to desserts," she explains vaguely.

Kylo shifts his head to the side, perplexed.

Pointing to the refrigerated case behind them, Rey repeats, "Desserts."

He turns to look and nods. "Ah. All the DayQuil I've been taking makes my head a little fuzzy." Another cough into the sleeve of his hoodie.

"So you're sick?" Rey asks, despite the proof before her.

"Yeah, I came down with something over the weekend," Kylo shrugs. "It's nothing to worry over, but the school board insisted I use up some sick time. Contamination prevention and all that." 

"Right," Rey nods.

They consider one another silently for a few moments.

Without the scrutiny of a building full of students and teachers, or a bar with their own separate dates, Rey isn't sure how to interact with him. 

"I'm glad you're-"

"You look nice-"

The awkward feeling subsides as they try to speak at the same moment, and laughter takes its place.

"What were you going to say?" Kylo asks first.

"Just that I'm glad you're not, you know, dead on the side of the road somewhere," she says, a coy smile on her lips. 

_Or in a love nest with Jyn._

Kylo's face breaks out in a boyish grin, baring his teeth. "You were worried about me."

Bashfully, Rey nods once, her cheeks warm. "Maybe just a little." She rocks back on her heels lightly. "What were you about to say?"

"You're dressed up nicely," Kylo states. "And I like the, uh," he gestures along the back of his head, "hairdo."

If her cheeks weren't painfully red before, they are now. 

His compliments, however small, make Rey's whole body tingle with excitement.

"Thank you, I used to wear it like this all the time in-" abruptly she catches herself, "middle school."

_Close one, genius._

The mention of such a young age registers on Kylo's face, as if he's remembering who exactly she is. His student. "Another date with Finn tonight?" 

Rey straightens, shaking her head. "No, actually. Dinner with Rose and her family," she points to the bakery case weakly, "I'm bringing dessert."

"That's very courteous of you," he says shortly. Kylo's voice is colder now than it was just seconds before.

The conversation has clearly reached its end, the mental gap between them widened into a trench.

Still, Rey resents the tone in his voice. How dare he toy with her like this? One moment he is every bit charming and the next he's suddenly the picture of apathy.

"I may be young, but I'm not uncivilized, you know. I was taught manners and social cues." 

Following the pattern she's set for herself, Rey turns on her heels and marches the remaining few yards to the bakery display. Her fist clenches and releases as she tries to focus on picking something out. 

Not ten seconds later, a hand plants itself firmly on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything that would upset you," Kylo says with an inadvertent sniffle. 

 _No, he doesn't get_  me _to feel sorry for_ him _._

"That is what you think of me though, isn't it? I'm just another one of your immature students?" Rey brushes his hand off and faces him again. She's not sure where the anger is coming from, but it demands to be felt.

"Rey, that's the last thing I'd ever think of you," Kylo scoffs at his own words. Lowering his voice, he adds, "I shouldn't even be thinking of you at all."

The conflict etched into his lips, colored into his eyes, it's all more than Rey can bear. Pressure from Hux, from Finn, even a different kind from Poe - it is finally catching up with her.

"Then don't. Go home and let _Jyn_ nurse you back to health." She blinks back traitorous tears and raises her voice so that the woman behind the counter can hear her when she twists back around. "May I have the chocolate one, please?"

"You're mistaken..." Kylo speaks deliberately, sounding wounded.

Shaking her head, Rey refuses to look at him again. He doesn't deserve to see the effects of his clandestine hold over her.

"Please, just go."

* * *

 

"Welcome, Rey! Come in from the cold," Mrs. Tico beckons her into the foyer.

Rey gratefully steps into the warmth of the brownstone. "Thank you for having me," she says as the kindly women takes the boxed cake from her and hands it to Rose.

Mrs. Tico promptly wraps Rey up in a hug. "The pleasure is ours! Our Rosie has nothing but wonderful things to say about you."

Over the woman's shoulder, Rey and Rose make eye contact. Rey mouths " _Rosie?_ " and is shot a playful glare.

"Should I take off my shoes?" Rey asks once she's released from the embrace, still grinning at her friend.

There is a small rack in the entryway with neatly arranged shoes of varying styles and sizes. Next to that is a round table topped with a beige crocheted doily. A digital photo frame displays family pictures that change over at ten second intervals. There are more photos trailing up the wall of the staircase in the back of the entrance. In each one, unposed smiles light up their faces.

Already, this is the most homey dwelling Rey can remember. Her foster homes all had a very impersonal feel about them, so that the children wouldn't get too comfortable and forget that it was all temporary.

"That's not necessary." Mrs. Tico assures her.

Rose interjects, patting a hand against Rey's shoulder. "That's Mama for 'yes'."

Mrs. Tico doesn't correct her daughter.

"Shoes off it is," Rey says with a laugh. She kicks back one leg, removes the shoe, and then does the same with the other one. Heels in hand, Rey looks questioningly at her friend. 

"Oh, the floor next to the shelf is fine." Rose passes the cake off to her mother and takes Rey's arm once she's placed her pumps on the tiled floor. "C'mon, I want to show you around before dinner!"

* * *

 

"This is an amazing library, Rose. I've never seen so many first editions in person before." Rey's tone is full of awe.

The pair stand in an upstairs room, dwarfed by wall-to-wall bookshelves. The books have been organized by topic, year of publication, paperback and hardcover. 

"Dad's the real collector. He prides himself on having found a lot of these at second-hand shops." Rose runs her fingertips over the spine of  _The Martian Chronicles_ by Ray Bradbury. "He's always said that persistence is the greatest virtue."

"Energy and persistence conquer all things," Rey agrees.

"Benjamin Franklin said that," the younger girl remarks.

"Spot on." Rey finds herself smiling fondly at her friend.

So much of what Rose says and does has given Rey a hopeful outlook on the younger generation. She is passionate and optimistic, but not naive.

The world is, thankfully, full of more than just Dylans.

" _Girls!_ " Mrs. Tico calls from somewhere downstairs. " _Paige is home. Come down for dinner!_ "

"It's about time," Rose says, immediately leading the way back into the hallway.

Rey matches her pace, falling behind only when they reach the staircase. 

Indiscernible voices can be heard from the dining room as the girls pad across the cold tile floor, getting louder until they are audible.

"Paige didn't tell me how handsome you are," Mrs. Tico practically coos.

Congregated in a small circle by the dinner table are Mr. and Mrs. Tico, a young woman who must be the highly esteemed Paige, and-

"Poe?" Rey nearly chokes out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, friends. The spacebabies can't always be happily pining over each other.


	7. March 14 & 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How did you two meet?" Rose asks, taking advantage of the timely opportunity. 
> 
> Rey perks up in her seat, the same question having ping-ponged through her head all evening. 
> 
> The couple share a look, silently hashing out which one of them will have to recount the story.
> 
> Evidently Poe wins, because Paige clears her throat before regaling the dining room.

Rey's eyes widen at the sight of her foster brother. Poe is the last person she ever could have anticipated showing up at this dinner.

_Why didn't he tell me he was seeing someone?_

Her obvious familiarity with Poe has caught the Tico family off guard. For what logical reason would this "teenage girl" know the new beau of their beloved eldest daughter?

Luckily, Poe is quick about his wits. He pretends to study her for few moments, as if trying to place her face. Then all at once, his umber-colored eyes zero in with recognition. 

"Oh! You're Harrison Eliot's kid, right?" 

Trying not to appear dumbstruck, Rey nods her agreement. "Yep, that's my dad." 

Looking around the room at the Tico's confused faces, Poe continues. "I just finished up some work on the family's imports. She came in with her father a couple of times to check on the progress." He shrugs. "What a small world."

"Ahh, quite the coincidence indeed," Mr. Tico answers for the family.

Waving Rey further into the room, the distinguished older man smiles now. "This makes introductions easier. You must be the Rey I've heard so much about. I'm Rose's father, Tuan Tico. You may call me Tuan."

Rey gives him a firm handshake and a smile. "Thank you for inviting me into your home, sir."

"The more the merrier," Mr. Tico insists. "And this is Paige."

Paige steps forward. The similarities between her and Rose are obvious. In a few years, Rose will probably be a mirror image of her sister, but for now, a more pronounced brow and fuller lips set Paige apart. 

"It's nice to finally put a name to the face," Rey says as the two of them exchange pleasant smiles from their respective spots. "Are you enjoying your classes at Columbia this semester?"

Paige lights up at the question. "Yes! All of my professors this year are fantastic. In fact," she meets the eyes of everyone in the room. "Professor Maiuro pulled some strings and I made the list for the summer program in Italy!"

At the news, Poe reaches out to rub his hand over her arm affectionately. "I knew you could do it! Congratulations, Paige!"

She mouths a pleased ' _thanks_ ' in return.

"Let's sit and eat. The pork is going to get cold," Mrs. Tico insists. She looks to her husband to take his seat first.

Mr. Tico pats a hand lightly against Poe's shoulder. "You can sit next to me, at the head of the table."

Pressing her lips together to prevent a smile, Rey shoots her friend an encouraging glance. This will be a humbling experience for the sometimes cocky, always confident, Poe.

The men take their seats and Mr. Tico gestures for his wife to sit next to him. 

Paige is quick to pull out a chair beside Poe, and Rose takes the seat next to her. This puts Rey between her friend and Mrs. Tico, completing the circular table for six.

White porcelain bowls sit atop red silk placemats at each setting. Chopsticks and wide spoons rest on a thick cotton napkin. Each person's bowl is filled halfway with a tawny liquid. On the center of the table sits a large plate with rice noodles, a steaming bowl of grilled pork pieces, and smaller bowls filled with mixed herbs and pickled vegetables.

Mrs. Tico begins to serve her husband first, adding particular amounts of each food to her husband's bowl. Once he has picked up both spoon and chopsticks, the rest of the table begins to do the same. 

Rey mimics Rose, using her chopsticks to get a little bit of everything into one bite. 

The dish is both sweet and sour, rich and earthy. 

_Yes, this was a good decision._

Once everyone is a few bites in, Rey inquires further of Paige. "So what will you be doing in Italy?"

"Archaeological fieldwork at Hadrian's Villa, in Tivoli," Paige replies as she replaces her spoon in the bowl. "On the weekend's, we're allowed to explore the city and anywhere else in Rome we can manage to reach. I'm so excited!"

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Tico says with a sigh. "I still think you're too young to be spending that long away from home."

"Paige has a good head on her shoulders," her husband speaks in such a way that suggests they have had this conversation many times before.

"It sounds like you're going to have a great time," Rey meets Poe's eyes across the table pointedly, the rest of them bent over their bowls. "Will Poe be joining you?"

Rose coughs into her chopsticks and slides her foot into Rey's under the table, kicking her lightly. 

Poe manages a short scowl to his foster sister before all eyes turn to him expectantly. "No, no. I wouldn't want to get in the way of Paige's research," he says quickly. 

Mr. and Mrs. Tico seem to let out a collective sigh of relief.

"We only just starting seeing each other," Paige agrees, her cheeks darkening. 

"How  _did_ you two meet, Pae Pae?" Rose asks, taking advantage of the timely opportunity. 

Rey perks up in her seat, the same question having ping-ponged through her head all evening. 

The couple share a look, silently hashing out which one of them will have to recount the story.

Evidently Poe wins, because Paige clears her throat before regaling the dining room.

"A few weeks ago, I was having lunch alone between classes at Friedman's, that diner near campus. Poe sat at the booth next to me, and every few minutes he would lean over with some preposterous story of what the other customers were talking about," they share a smile before Paige continues. "It was amusing, but I didn't think much of it. By the time we both got our checks, I was in a rush to get to my Nineteenth Century Criticism class. So I go outside and while I'm waiting to cross the street, standing there in the frigid cold, Poe appears next to me. He looks like the biting air couldn't bother him in the least, and there I am, teeth chattering like an idiot." Paige laughs softly to herself. "It couldn't have been a good look. But anyway, Poe starts to unwind the scarf from around his neck, and I'm trying not to pay him any attention. It's hard because now the wind gusts past me, carrying his warm peppery cologne. All of the sudden, Poe hands me his scarf. I think I just stared at it blankly for a while because he had to clear his throat before I took it. He said something along the lines of 'You look like you could use this a lot more than me'."

Poe purses his lips before nodding his consent.

"So I awkwardly wrap his scarf around my neck and immediately sigh from the warmth," Paige drops her eyes to the bowl in front of her. "Anyway, then the crosswalk changes and I blurt out, 'How will I get this back to you?'. Poe just shakes his head and tells me to keep it, saying that it 'suits me' before he heads off in the opposite direction. It was kind of bittersweet, because now I wouldn't get to see him again. _Until_ ," she emphasizes, purposely captivating Poe's gaze.

"Until," he repeats, taking this as a sign to continue the story, "a couple of minutes later. Paige was halfway across the quad, and I'd been trying to decide if approaching her again could be taken as stalkerish. Something told me to just go for it, so I'd almost managed to catch up and called out 'Mrs. Hollandaise'-"

"The name he'd made up for the woman in Friedman's who scarfed down her eggs benedict in two minutes flat," Paige interjects.

A sheepish smile materializes on Poe's lips. "Right. So, I call out to her, and Paige turns around and we both just start laughing. I jogged the last few yards to her and asked how she felt about kismet."

From a few seats over, a snort slips out. Rey tries to play it off as a cough, and brings her napkin up to her mouth. "Excuse me."

Shaking his head, Poe chuckles to himself. "Tell them what you said, Paige."

"I told him that depended on how many times he'd used that line today," Paige smiles at her sister. "Always make sure you call a guy out, it sorts the losers from the gentlemen."

"Duly noted," Rose agrees, lifting the spoon to her lips.

"Poe looked sort of wounded at this and shook his head repeatedly as he told me he would never do any such thing. Then he asked how often I eat at Friedman's. In truth, I'd only gone a handful of times before. He said that if we happened to meet there again, it would be the universe trying to send us a message. And then he walked off. I was so surprised that he didn't try to ask for my number or my Twitter handle. But with a newfound incentive, I made sure to go to Friedman's the very next day for lunch. And there he was, in the same booth." 

Poe's hand finds Paige's on top of the table and he gives it an encouraging squeeze. 

Conflicting feelings of happiness and minor envy flow through Rey. "That was a really sweet story."

"It also doubles as ammunition when you don't want to let me borrow your clothes,  _Mrs. Hollandaise_ ," Rose grins resolutely.

" _Ha ha_ ," Paige deadpans. 

"I think it's romantic," Mrs. Tico insists.

Mr. Tico just continues to focus on his dinner, a small grumbling sound his only reply.

* * *

 

"Dinner was delicious, Mrs. Tico, thank you for having me," Rey praises, standing in the foyer as she puts her shoes back on.

After dinner, the six of them had settled into the living room for a lively game of Phase 10 and more questioning of Poe. In the end, it turned out that Rey didn't have much of the attention cast on her and her pretend story after all. 

"It's been our pleasure, Rey. You were so thoughtful to bring dessert!" Mrs. Tico gives her the second hug of the evening.

"You'll have to come over again soon," Rose says. 

"And bring your parents! I'd very much like to meet them," Mr. Tico requests.

Rey manages a convincing smile. "Of course."

Swooping in to redirect the conversation, Poe pipes in, "I should be heading home, too. Work in the morning." 

It's clear that Paige isn't ready for him to go, perhaps wishing for some time alone with her new sweetheart. "Yeah...I have class."

"Excellent. Poe can accompany Rey to the subway. A young girl shouldn't be walking around the city alone this late at night." Tuan Tico's words are firm.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rose," Rey says, giving her friend a side hug. 

"See ya."

Rey turns the knob of the door and pauses, giving Poe and Paige a moment to say goodbye.

"Call you tomorrow," Poe promises, his voice soft. He presses a chaste, family-friendly kiss to Paige's cheek. 

"You'd better," she murmurs, leaving hand lingering on his hip. 

They stand like that for a moment, having a private conversation with their eyes. 

Mrs. Tico takes her husband's arm and pulls him out of the room, waving Rose along with them.

With a final smile, Rey opens the front door. She zips her coat all the way up and steps out into the dark winter night.

The door almost shuts behind her, and then reopens as Poe emerges. His voice is higher than usual as he asks, "So what part of town does your family live in?"

"We've got a flat in the Upper East Side."

Once they're a few yards from the now closed door, the facade is dropped.

"Okay, what the hell, Poe?! You could have given me a little warning or something!" 

"I'm sorry! You never told me Rose's last name, or even that you had dinner plans tonight," Poe points out. 

"I- Ugh, yeah, you're right," Rey exhales, her breath a cloudy fog. "We could stand to communicate a bit better."

"Yeah," Poe agrees. "We've both been so busy, I couldn't find the right time to tell you I met someone."

"True...But I don't know how this is going to work, Poe. After graduation, my cover will be blown. I can't keep up the act forever," Rey sighs tiredly. "Are you serious about her?"

It doesn't take Poe long to reply. "Yeah, I think I really am. She's so incredibly smart and kriff," he can't fight back a toothy smile, "she challenges me, makes me think from sides I've never considered before. It's crazy, Rey, I never thought I'd feel like this."

This lowers Rey's defenses. If anyone deserves happiness, it's Poe. He's always selflessly made sacrifices and worked hard so they could get by.

"Well, if she's anything like Rose, you have great taste. I'm happy for you, honestly."

They brush shoulders as they walk towards the subway station.

"You shouldn't have to suffer because of _my_ job...We'll just cross that road when we come to it."

"Thanks, sis. I really am sorry I caught you off guard, though. Let's have, I don't know, weekly house meetings to discuss the big headlines of our personal lives," Poe chortles at the idea. "Save us from any further surprises."

Rey finds herself nodding along. "Alright, deal."

* * *

 

When Rey walks into first period the following day, there is a small folded note placed on her usual desk. She balks at the sight of it, immediately looking around for Rose, to no avail. In fact, the classroom is empty, save for a couple talking closely at their desks in the fifth row.

_Weird..._

She slips her leather satchel over the back of the chair and sits down. Hunching over, Rey brings the note into her lap, feeling strangely conspicuous.

In familiar block letters, her name is written out on top of the paper. 

Gulping, Rey carefully unfolds the note.

Her heartbeat increases pace as she reads the simple words:

ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴊʏɴ.

Immediately, Rey sneezes into the stationery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poe/Paige fluff today, Reylo fluff soon!


	8. March 15 & 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Thank you, Ms. Tico. That was a great introduction into our discussion of the Byronic hero." Kylo takes a tissue out of the box at the front of his desk and hands it to Rey.

"Gesundheit," Kylo appears in the doorway of the classroom. 

Rey brings the paper to her chest, effectively crushing it. "Thank you."

Her instinct tells her to look away, but she resists. 

With a fresh shave and clean hair, Kylo looks much improved since they saw one another at the grocery store yesterday evening. 

He nods once and strides into the room, other students hot on his heels. Just like that, any opportunity to ask how the note mysteriously appeared on her desk vanish. 

As Kylo gets resituated at his desk, Rey balls the note up in her fist.

She considers throwing it away, but decides against it. This would be incriminating evidence, with her name plastered on it in Mr. Ren's obvious penmanship. Instead, Rey pushes the compact paper ball into the bottom of her satchel. 

_There. I'll get rid of it at home._

The rest of the class floods in and finds their seats.

Rey spends the remaining time until class starts staring glass-eyed at the blackboard, worrying about how she can spin this to Hux.

She hasn't been wearing the pin after class. When they ran into each other at Raines Law Room and Morton Williams, it was without the prying eyes of her editor-in-chief.

But there hadn't been a way to hide the unexpected note. 

As if on cue, Rey's leather bag vibrates against her chair.

Hoping it's just Finn or Poe, Rey chooses to ignore it for the time being. 

_Brrrrrnnnngggg!_

Rose just manages to walk in the classroom as the first period bell rings. 

The girls exchange friendly smiles, and Kylo moves to close the door. 

"I've been told that Mr. Plutt kept you up to date with the coursework," Kylo addresses his students. "I'll be grading your papers over the weekend. Today, we're going to start a discussion of  _Jane Eyre_. By a show of hands, how many of you have read this previously?" He picks the book up off his desk, holding the cover up.

Rey turns her head to look around the room, and is surprised to see quite a number of hands shoot up. She raises her own hand as well, facing the front of the classroom once more.

Kylo seems pleased with this, a small smile gracing his mouth. "Any major takeaways from the relationship between Jane and Rochester?" He points to a raised hand, "Joe?"

"Attraction isn't always physical. Mr. Rochester and Jane's connection is based heavily upon their intellectual communion," Joe says confidently.

A voice somewhere behind Rey whispers, "Joe's appeal definitely isn't physical."

"Interesting thought, Joe," Kylo nods. He lightly tosses the book from one hand to the other, beginning his usual pacing. "Yes, Hallie?"

"It's so romantic. Jane needs someone to love her and Rochester needs someone to see beyond his past. They save each other in a way," Hallie sighs happily.

"Attraction, romance- these are instruments that often drive a plot." Kylo broadcasts his voice from the corner of the room.

While having enjoyed the book in past readings, Rey has a lingering feeling that she knows why Kylo chose this particular book. For some reason, this irritates her.

Rey shoots a hand into the air.

Kylo hesitates for a few seconds before he calls on her. "...Rey?"

"Mr. Rochester is kind of a jerk. He baits Jane by saying how much he will miss her after getting married, and that soon she'll forget him," she pauses to clear her throat, but can't seem to get the irritation to budge. "He basically manipulated her so that usually self-controlled Jane would confess her feelings for him. That doesn't sound romantic to me." 

She doesn't turn to see if her words elicit a physical reaction. 

"Now that's thinking outside the box," Kylo announces carefully.

Rey takes a small pleasure in the way that the grandeur disappears from his voice.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rey sees Rose raise a hand. Her nose begins to drip and she absentmindedly rubs it away with her sleeve.

Kylo is making his way back to the front when he calls on her. "Yes, Rose?" 

"No one has mentioned the vast age difference between Jane and Mr. Rochester yet. I think it's interesting that at first, it's a plot device that they use to mentally separate themselves. But as the book goes on, they cease to acknowledge age. He stops referring to her as Ms. Eyre and calls her Jane. Even though Rochester is majorly flawed," Rose pauses for a millisecond to glance over at Rey, "he is redeemable as a character."

Rey leans back at her desk, surprised at her friend's point of view. The girl is right of course. 

The second sneeze of the day escapes Rey. She directs it mostly into her elbow, sniffling immediately afterward.

Pausing in front of the classroom, Kylo moves his eyes from the face of one student to the next. He lingers on Rey for a couple of seconds, no doubt taking in her ruffled state.

"Thank you, Ms. Tico. That was a great introduction into our discussion of the Byronic hero." Kylo takes a tissue out of the box at the front of his desk and hands it to Rey.

* * *

 

_Don't forget that the fundraiser for the senior class trip is next Friday! We still need volunteers, please see Mrs. Asher for details._

An announcement buzzes through the speakers of the cafeteria. 

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" Rose asks, peeling an orange. 

Rey and Rose are sitting at their usual end of one of the long rectangular tables. Hallie from English class is eating with them today, along with two of her friends, Krista and Shawn.

"I'll be fine, I think I just need to take it easy after school today," Rey replies. 

"It sounds like you're coming down with something. I hope your desk got disinfected after class," Hallie wriggles her nose in disgust. "Just don't give me any of your germs, I've got a date tonight."

Krista rolls her eyes playfully. "Yeah, with some guy you met at Starbucks."

"At least he's got a job!" Hallie retorts. "No offense, Shawn."

"None taken," Shawn says into his slice of pizza. 

Rey smiles at the conversation around her. Everything is so simple when your biggest life responsibilities were passing a class and doing chores around the house. 

A sip of milk is sliding down her throat when her body protests. Rey's stomach heaves and her eyes widen. 

 _I will not throw up in a high school cafeteria. I will_ not  _throw up in a high school cafeteria._

" _Mmm,_ " she sounds through closed lips, her head turning to Rose for help.

"Hey! Let's get you out of here," Rose directs, placing a hand across Rey's back. 

She guides her off the bench and turns her head over her shoulder. "I'm gonna take her to the bathroom. Don't wait up for me."

* * *

 

Rey sits propped up in bed by a great number of pillows, with her favorite penguin plush tucked next to her. A box of tissues is within reach and a trashcan sits on the ground, practically overflowing. 

So much for not getting sick. 

She lets out a frustrated sound and pounds the backspace key multiple times. "No, no, no! This isn't coming out right at all."

Yesterday at lunchtime Rose had escorted Rey both to the restroom and the nurse's office before she was ultimately sent home with the beginnings of a flu. 

Her symptoms are textbook: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, achy muscles, and fatigue. They're also eerily similar to what Kylo had come down with.

Earlier in the day, Rose called offering to bring Rey her homework for the weekend. Rey's excuse had been a weak one, manly arguing that she didn't want to infect her friend. This was only partially true, as Rey didn't think she could manage to explain away her East Harlem apartment with missing family members in her current state. Graciously, Rose accepted this and told her friend to feel better soon. 

So Rey has been spending the better part of the afternoon chugging liquids and attempting to write a first draft of the story she's secretly working on.

Attempting being the key word because all the over-the-counter medicine Rey has been popping is severely messing with her head. She's already fallen down once in the kitchen and then a second time on her way back to the bedroom.

The built-in laptop speakers sound with a ringing.

_Skype Call From Finn_

Rey clicks to accept it and a pixelated version of Finn's face pops up. 

"Hiiii!" Rey waves a hand excitedly at her webcam.

"Rey? I-.....-school-....ay?" His voice cuts out and fades.

Based off the way Finn's head moves rhythmically in and out of frame, Rey assumes he's walking.  

She sniffles and smiles blankly at her screen until he stops moving so much. 

"Sorry, I was just getting off the subway," he explains. "What happened yesterday? The audio cut out of your feed right after lunch. Katherine mentioned that Hux texted you a few times and hasn't heard back."

It's kind of adorable the way Finn is holding his phone out at an angle like he's getting ready to snap a selfie. This thought makes Rey burst into a fit of giggles.

Finn blinks like he can't believe what just happened. "Ohhhkayyy." He pauses and brings the phone closer to his face, recognition now dawning in his eyes. "Peanut, are you sick?"

That was a perplexing sentence. "Why are you eating peanuts, Finn?" She asks, cocking her head to the side.

"What? No, Rey,  _you're_ the peanut. Just like I'm your peanut."

"But that doesn't make any-- _achoo!_ " Rey sneezes all over the laptop, covering the screen in little droplets of sick. 

"You really are sick," Finn furrows his brow. "Is Poe home with you?"

"Poe's at work." Rey takes a half-used tissue and starts to wipe the laptop screen.

Finn shakes his head, looking concerned. "I was heading to see you at the high school. Keeping up appearances and all that. But if you're home sick, I'll just-"

"Wait! Class just let out for the day. You have to bring me my homework. Please, Finn?" Rey sits up straighter against her pillows, the change in elevation making her feel dizzy once more. She takes a few deep breaths before continuing. "Rose offered to drop it by but I couldn't have her poking around here. Pretty please? I can't keep my cover up if I'm falling behind."

The view of Finn on her screen shifts as he switches hands. "I... I guess it couldn't hurt." 

"Thank you! Just head straight for the main office and they'll give you what you need." Rey speaks into her cup of water.

"What? Ok, I'll figure it out," Finn nods. "Hey, do I look like office-Finn or college-boyfriend-Finn right now?"

Replacing the cup on her bedside table, Rey attempts a shrug. "I don't know? Are you wearing slacks or jeans?"

"Jeans."

"Sounds like college-Finn to me."

"Good. Alright, I'll get your homework. Anything else I can bring you?"

Rey's hand pats around the bottom of a tissuebox. "More tissues, please."

* * *

 

Finn waves in a way he hopes will come across as casually to a girl in the hallway. 

"This is kind of freaky," he mutters to himself, taking in the sterile surroundings of the high school. 

Rey was right, school had just ended a few minutes before. As Finn walked up to the building, students had flooded past him on their way to weekend freedom.

Now he is trying to inconspicuously locate the school's main office. 

_That could be...upstairs, right?_

Shrugging once to himself, Finn bounds up the staircase. 

_And maybe to the right?_

He only gets a couple of feet when Finn sees a familiar face walking out of a classroom. "Hey, Mr. Ren!"

The teacher's mouth twitches in recognition. "Finn?"

"It's lucky that I ran into you. Rey sent me to pick up her homework, I was just looking for the office." Finn explains.

A few different emotions seem to flash across Mr. Ren's face before settling on curiosity. "Rey wasn't in my class today, is everything alright?"

Somehow Finn both nods and shrugs at the same time. "She's pretty sick."

Mr. Ren runs a hand through his dark, unkempt hair. "I'm very sorry to hear that. Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"Rey was sneezing and talking crazy on Skype, but it's probably just your typical fever," he says, unfazed.

The slightly older man presses his lips together firmly for a couple of seconds. "Does she need anything?"

Finn narrows his eyes, starting to feel more than a little annoyed. "No, man. That's what she has me for. I'm her boyfriend." Saying the words aloud feels thrilling.

Mr. Ren doesn't back down from the statement. "Then see to it that she's well taken care of," he nearly growls. As an afterthought, he adds in a softer voice, "Rey doesn't deserve to suffer."

Taking a step back from the much taller man, Finn nods once. "Just tell me where I can pick up her homework."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I said fluff soon, and I stand by that. 
> 
> Patience you must have, my young Padawan.
> 
> :D xoxo


	9. March 16 - 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tardiness is not permitted, whatever the cause. Your fellow classmates have just begun a written exam." Kylo slides his feet down off the desk and back onto the floor, sitting up in his chair. "A word in the hallway, Ms. Eliot, to discuss the consequences of your disrespectful conduct." Kylo's tone is cold, yet professional.
> 
> His eyes tell an entirely different story.

Loud knocking rouses Rey from drug-induced slumber. The sound is disorienting at first. She doesn't seem to recall the day or time, but it's still light outside.  

Rey fishes around her sheets until her hand presses against a small, cold rectangle of metal and plastic. She draws the phone out and holds it close to her face. 

_(4) New Text Messages from Finn_

> **\---- Friday, March 16 ----**
> 
> **– Finn | 3:35 –**
> 
> _Got it. Omw._
> 
> **– Finn | 3:48 –**
> 
> _Almost at your place._
> 
> **– Finn | 3:52 –**
> 
> _I'm here._
> 
> **– Finn | 3:54 –**
> 
> _Rey, wake up!_

Right. Finn went to ElRo for her homework. 

"I'm coming!" Rey calls out as loudly as her parched throat can muster. 

Despite the protest in her muscles, Rey sits up and slides out of bed. She takes a moment to get oriented to the new vertical position her body is in, running a hand through her matted hair. 

Rey tosses her cellphone back onto her bed and takes a quick look at what she's wearing. Pajama bottoms and a bleach-stained old t-shirt advertising Niima Outpost, a dive bar that closed down years ago.

"Finn's seen me in worse," she decides with a shrug.

Another series of knocks sounds from the front of the apartment. 

"I said I'm coming!"

Rey walks quickly across the strips of carpet and linoleum floor in her socked feet until she reaches the front door. 

Poe installed a couple of after-market deadbolts, so it takes her a few moments to get the door unlocked.

She opens it to find Finn leaning against the doorframe, looking mildly perturbed until he sees her.

"Peanut, you look terrible," Finn says with a smile that tells her he's mostly joking. 

"Yeah, well you look..." Rey takes in the sight of her friend, attempting to find fault. His crisp blue button-down is tucked into a pair of fitted lightwash jeans. It's not a bad look.

When Rey leaves the sentence unfinished, Finn holds out a small stack of papers as an offering. 

"Thank you! You're a life-saver," Rey smiles, taking the papers and holding them against her chest.

"And these," Finn adds, producing a box of Kleenex from behind his back.

Laughing, Rey steps away from the door. "Do you want to come in for a bit?" Her laugh is interrupted by a loud sneeze. "I should warn you, there's probably a good chance you could catch whatever I have."

"I'm up to date on all my shots."

Rey leads the way past the kitchen and into the living room. "Make yourself at home." She places the stack of homework onto the coffee table and curls herself up into a corner of the couch with one of the throw pillows. 

Finn follows suit, taking a seat a couple feet away from her, and places the tissuebox between them. 

"Were you able to find the office alright?" Rey asks, taking a tissue. "Oh, of course you did. Duh." She looks over at her friend with a sly grin, only to find his face tense. "What's wrong, Peanut?"

"I don't like that guy, Rey."

"What guy?" Her fingers comb through the fringe around the pillow. 

"The teacher.  _Kylo._ "

Rey draws back. "Wait, why don't you like him?"

"He likes you. Rey, the guy thinks you're a teenager, and he doesn't even do a good job of pretending to be indifferent about you in front of your fake boyfriend."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Finn."

"Like hell you don't."

"Um, the last time I checked  _you_ were the one begging me to stay on this story!" Rey flings the pillow at Finn's lap. "So I don't appreciate the attitude you're taking with me  _doing. My. Job._ "

Finn catches the pillow and defensively throws it on the ground. "There's such a thing as being too involved, Rey."

"I think you should go." Rey wipes at her nose. "I don't want us to say things we don't mean." 

"Rey, think about this logically-"

"Finn! I said that you should go."

Finn stares at the blank television screen across the room for a few long seconds. 

Abruptly, he stands up. 

"Feel better, Rey. That's from the teacher and I."

* * *

The flu kept Rey out of commission for the entire weekend and most of the next week. This proved to be a great annoyance to Armitage Hux and the rest of the fourth floor office.

After their almost-fight, the conversation between Finn and Rey was at worst strained, and at best professional.

Finn sent Rey daily updates of their coworkers' complaints. Most were along the lines of ' _When is she going to get back to flirting with her sexy teacher?'_. Even Finn himself seemed to be showing a more clinical attitude towards Mr. Ren, referring to him as ' _the teacher_ '.

Needless to say, Rey wasn't in any hurry to get back to her undercover gig. 

When she woke up Thursday to find most of her symptoms virtually gone, Rey knew she had to face the music.

Rey pushes the plastic slat of her bedroom blinds down and peers out the window. Sunlight floods into the room, warming her waxen skin. 

"It looks like Spring is finally making an appearance," she murmurs to herself.

Outside, the morning is in full swing. Cars and buses speed up as they pass by her window. Rey watches a woman carefully cross the road, holding her toddler's hand and a precarious stack of books. One of the middle books looks dangerously close to toppling to whole thing over. Rey bites into her bottom lip, transfixed on the woman, until the two make it safely to the other side. She breathes out, relieved, as the woman corrects the stack and continues on down the sidewalk.

Letting go of the blind, Rey turns around and takes in the sight of her messy bedroom. A week's worth of laundry spills out of its basket, various bottles clutter her desk, and her bed is a complete disaster. 

Rey's cellphone display shows the time:  _7:41_. 

With a bracing sigh, she goes to face her closet. Only a few tops are still neatly hung on their hangers. For the sake of time, Rey grabs the first thing she sees, a long-sleeved blouse with ivory and yellow pinstripes. 

She strips of her bed clothes and pulls the top on over her head. 

A few more takes around the room, and the outfit is finished with a black denim skirt, bright teal stockings, and a pair of black booties.

Plowing into the bathroom, Rey makes quick work of brushing her teeth and hair. Her hands mindlessly style her dark tresses into three buns down the back of her head.

As an afterthought, Rey sprints back into her bedroom and adds the spaceship pin to the right pocket of the blouse. "Grab a coffee, the All-Humiliation Network has returned for an encore," Rey mutters to the pin.

She collects her laptop and the coursework Finn brought on Friday and heads to the living room.

On top of her leather satchel rests a small scrap of paper and Rey's heart immediately speeds up.

_Kylo obviously wasn't in the house._

_I would have remembered that._

_...Wouldn't I?_

Rey snatches the paper up, now recognizing Poe's handwriting. 

_ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴅᴀʏ ᴀᴛ sᴄʜᴏᴏʟ, sɪs. ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴀʟᴋ._

_ᴀʟsᴏ, ᴘᴀɪɢᴇ sᴀɪᴅ ʀᴏsᴇ sɪɢɴᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴜᴘ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴜɴᴅʀᴀɪsᴇʀ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ. sᴏ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ sᴄᴀʀᴄᴇ, ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴍʏ ᴅʀɪғᴛ._

"Subtle," Rey says, a smile on her lips.

_Good for Poe._

"Looks like I need to arrange a sleepover."

* * *

The bus isn't outside at its normal time, so Rey waits an extra few minutes, thinking it just got held up.

But more time goes by and at 8:07 there's still no sign of the bus, leaving Rey no choice but to walk to school.

When she enters the building at 8:32, the hallways are silent, first period having started twelve minutes prior. 

Flustered, Rey makes her way up the staircase and down the hall to English 12. 

The door is closed, and when Rey turns the handle and pushes it open, a wretched creaking sounds, effectively turning all heads in her direction. 

Rose smiles brightly at her friend and offers a small, encouraging wave. 

"How good of you to grace us with your presence," Kylo says impassively from his seat.

His feet are propped up on the desk in front of him and both hands cradle a hardcover book.

At first Rey finds this odd, but as she takes in the classroom before her she realizes that she walked in during a test.

"I'm sorry, my bus never showed up so I had to come on foot," Rey explains, approaching her teacher's desk.

"Tardiness is not permitted, whatever the cause. Your fellow classmates have just begun a written exam." Kylo slides his feet down off the desk and back onto the floor, sitting up in his chair. "A word in the hallway, Ms. Eliot, to discuss the consequences of your disrespectful conduct." Kylo's tone is cold, yet professional.

His eyes tell an entirely different story. 

Rey nods and drops her gaze to the floor, letting him lead the way out of the classroom. 

"It won't happen again, sir," she enunciates carefully, the door shutting closed behind them.

The teacher looks both ways down the hall before gesturing for Rey to follow him. 

They walk a few yards away from the classroom and stop in front of the audio/video supply closet.

"I didn't mean to cause a disruption," Rey says, looking up at the much taller man. She is pleased to see that he's let the scruff grow back above his lips and across his chin. 

In a confusing turn of events, Kylo smiles. Tiny lines around his eyes emerge and his cheeks scrunch up, displaying dimples Rey hadn't known were there.

Rey's brows knit and she returns his smile with a perplexed one of her own. "Am I not in trouble?"

Kylo laughs softly and drops his head, pushing a hand against the back of his neck. "Trouble? No, of course not." He kneads his neck and looks down at Rey once again. "I just wanted, no, _needed_ to explain myself to you."

"Alright," Rey speaks hesitantly. She finds herself toying with the spaceship pin as an outlet for her nerves. 

"First of all, I believe it's my fault that you got sick, and I'm deeply sorry for that." Kylo's eyes dance over her face, taking in every feature as if he's seeing them for the first time. "Secondly, the note I left on your desk." His line of sight narrows in on Rey's lips for a few impossibly long seconds.

Her breath comes out ragged, and she nods for him to continue.

"That was  _highly_ inappropriate." 

Rey presses her lips together in a frown, but still forces herself to nod.

"My personal life shouldn't be of any concern to you, just as yours shouldn't affect me." Even as he says the words, Kylo's eyes betray him. 

"Yes." The singular word is the only thing Rey can call to mind at the moment.

"And finally, if I have acted in any way that could undermine my professionalism, I apologize. You are my student and it is my duty to treat you as such. If my actions have suggested otherwise, that was never my intention." Kylo states, sounding like this is something he's rehearsed.

"Yes- I mean, I forgive you. For everything," Rey offers a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "That is, if you'll forgive me for acting so juvenile."

"Absolutely."

They remain locked in a stare, clearly at a standstill. Both of them on the verge of saying something unwarranted or improper.

Somewhere down the hall, a door opens. Rey jumps at the sound, her arm brushing against Kylo's.

"Shouldn't we get back to class, Mr. Ren?" The name feels wrong as it leaves her lips.

"Yes, we should." Kylo draws his arm back and starts to walk in the direction of the classroom. 

_He didn't correct me._

* * *

 

 _"Yes!_ " Rose squeals. "I would love that!"

"Me too, I kind of really love your parents," Rey says with a smile. 

"This is gonna be great! We'll do our couple hours of volunteering tomorrow and then have the rest of the night to enjoy the fair." 

"What  _did_ you sign us up for exactly?"

"Oh," Rose suddenly looks very interested in her chocolate pudding. "I meant to tell you, I couldn't get us signed up for the same thing."

"Okay, and?"

"I'm running the dunk booth with Lindsey," Rose brings the spoon to her mouth, talking into it. "And you're working the refreshments stand."

"That's not as bad as I was expecting," Rey says with an encouraging nod.

"With Mr. Ren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tensions are running high around here! Next update will include a bit more of Kylo's backstory, since he and Rey are about to be stuck together for a few hours with nothing to do but talk.


	10. March 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She draws her tongue back. "Spider-Man red?" A sheepish smile spreads across her lips.
> 
> Kylo furrows his brows for a few seconds, then raises them. "You remember that story?"
> 
> "I remember everything that you say," Rey says, without thinking. "In your classroom," she adds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter so far! Come, let us delve deeper into the enigma that is Kylo Ren.

The school day ends on Friday and, instead of rushing home, most of the senior class walk down York Avenue to Carl Schurz Park. The East River runs alongside the park, offering a beautiful backdrop for the fundraising fair.

Rey walks with Rose and Lindsey, the three girls making idle chatter about the evening's events. 

"I heard that last year, some of the boys jumped into the river and they got disqualified from the senior class trip. Their parents were really upset, but Mr. Saliani wouldn't change his mind," Lindsey's tone is low and cautious.

Unable to stop herself, Rey asks, "Are you worried that you're accidentally going to jump in too?" 

Rose nudges her with an elbow, but keeps her eyes ahead discreetly. 

"No...I was just saying," Lindsey says quietly.

They lapse into quiet observation for the remaining couple of blocks. 

When the park comes into view, Rose reaches out and grabs Rey's arm. "It's beautiful."

"Someone's been busy," she agrees.

The lawn of Carl Schurz Park is covered with booths offering typical carnival attractions: a ring toss, dunk tank, face painting, skeeball, water gun racing, even a kissing booth. A few rides are set up too, including a small bumper car track, tea cups, swings, and a large Ferris wheel in the middle of it all. Fairy lights and colored lanterns hang from the gazebos. Little carts and tents are scattered throughout, with pictures of food and drink items identifying them as refreshment stands.

As students enter the park, Ms. Tano stands with a clipboard, marking the volunteers as present. "Rose Tico and...Lindsey Hodge, dunk tank," Ms. Tano puts check-marks next to their names. She reaches into her fanny pack, fishing around for their name tags. "There we are," Ms. Tano holds the stickers out to the girls. "You can check in with Mr. Tekka at your booth."

Rose and Lindsey remove the wax paper from the back of the name tags and press them onto their shirts. 

"Rey Eliot," Ms. Tano scans the paper for her name. "Ah. You're working Refreshment Stand Two with Mr. Ren." She produces a name tag for Rey and gestures behind her. "That's the one with the Icee machine, you can't miss it."

"Thanks," echo from the lips of all three young women as they march past Ms. Tano and step onto the lawn. 

Other students and faculty are finding their posts or testing out the games and rides. The fair doesn't open to the public for another thirty minutes or so. 

"Do you think we're going to raise enough money?" Rose asks, heading towards the dunk tank.

"I really hope so. I haven't been to Disney World since since seventh grade," Lindsey says. "But even if we don't, I bet some of the parents will step in. ElRo always sends their seniors on a trip."

"Is attending the trip a required activity?" Rey plays with the lowest bun on her head, right at the base of her neck.

"What? Don't you want to go?!" Rose looks bemused.

"I do, I'm just not sure if my parents want me to go all the way to Florida without them," Rey quickly answers.

"Oh," Rose softens. "It's totally chaperoned, if that's what they're worried about. I could get my parents to talk to them, too."

"No!" Rey blurts out. "I mean, no, that won't be necessary. If it's chaperoned, I'm sure they'll be cool with it."

They stop in front of the large blue dunk tank. It's caged, housing a small black seat that resembles a diving board. Off to the side are two plastic folding chairs and a basket full of balls.

Lindsey picks up a ball and aims it for the red circle on the vinyl sheet next to the tank. She throws, and the ball hits the black circle encasing the red, missing the target. "Which one of you wants to get in there and test this thing out?" Lindsey smiles, reaching down for another ball.

Mr. Tekka emerges from somewhere behind the booth and walks around to the front. "Everything appears to be in working order. Oh, hello girls. Let me show you what you'll be doing."

Taking this as her cue to leave, Rey brushes her fingertips across Rose's arm. "Okay, so I'll meet you by the Ferris wheel when our replacements come."

"Sounds good. Have fun with Mr. Ren," Rose says with a broad smile.

"Yeah, yeah. You owe me for this." 

Walking off towards her assignment, Rey's stomach feels like it's being tied into intricate knots. After their conversation yesterday, she isn't sure how to approach Kylo. It felt like they had trekked a great precipice together and then he went off and ran away.

Ms. Tano had been right, Refreshment Stand Two sets itself apart with a large ICEE logo on the banner.

Already, Kylo is standing under the small tent, unwrapping the plastic from sleeves of cups and stacking them neatly. The small area where Rey will be spending her next few hours consists of a high-top table covered in cups of differing sizes, a money box, and the Icee machine on another tiny table behind that. No chairs to be seen. Just eight square feet of space for them to occupy.

Kylo looks out at the park, taking in the excitement around him casually. His eyes seem to do a double-take when he spots Rey, and his peaceful expression vanishes.

Half of Rey's mouth pulls up in a small smile. "Hi. Ms. Tano sent me."

He hums a short response and takes a step closer to the front table so that Rey can walk around him.

She pretends to be very interested in watching the Icee machine churn its liquid. Behind her, Kylo finishes setting up all the plastic cups and makes busywork of counting out the bills and coins in the metal box.

Minutes pass by in silence.

_Fine, I don't want to talk either._

Rey takes one of the smallest cups, deciding to test the drink. She presses the cup against the red side of the Icee machine until it's filled about a quarter of the way up. 

Leaning against the front table, Rey drinks a sip. "Not quite frozen," she says, mainly to herself. Shrugging one shoulder, she finishes the rest of the drink in one gulp. 

_Bad idea._

A concentrated pain announces its presence right between Rey's eyebrows. She squeezes her eyes together tightly and bounces on her heels.

"Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth," Kylo instructs, his voice barely audible. 

Rey does as directed, in too much discomfort to be surprised.

After a long few seconds, the intense feeling subsides and Rey's eyes flutter back open. 

Kylo stands looking down at her, his eyes clouded with concern.

Doing the first thing that comes to mind, Rey sticks out the tip of her tongue. "What color is my tongue?"

"Red."

She draws her tongue back. "Spider-Man red?" A sheepish smile spreads across her lips.

Kylo furrows his brows for a few seconds, then raises them. "You remember that story?"

"I remember everything that you say," Rey says, without thinking. "In your classroom," she adds.

To her relief, Rey's smile is matched by one from Kylo. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

Rey nods her consent, trying not to notice the way her heart is pounding heavily.

"Do you think I tell too many stories in class?"

This is not the question she was expecting. Still, Rey shakes her head once. "No. That's what makes you interesting. As a teacher, I mean."

Kylo gives a low laugh, running his fingers through his trimmed beard. "God, I would love to think I'm an interesting teacher. I had...maybe one or two teachers in high school who had any passion at all."

"You do seem to have passion," Rey's words come unhindered. "In the classroom."

Their borderline unseemly conversation is interrupted when Dylan approaches the stand. He looks at Rey thoughtfully for a second before saying, "One large blue slushie."

"Sure." Rey grabs a cup and turns around to fill the order while Kylo takes the payment. "Here you go," she attaches a lid and hands the drink over.

Dylan unwraps a straw and takes a long swallow before burping loudly. He smiles at Rey and winks, then walks off.

"Boys," Kylo's tone is laced with disgust.

"I know."

"I'd like to tell you that we all grow out of it, but that's a lie," Kylo shakes his head and takes a step back from the front table.

Rey follows suit, as if the extra foot away would make their conversation more private.

"You probably knew as much already, though I can't see Finn acting that way around you."

"We...broke up," Rey decides on the words easily. One less lie to tell will only make her life easier.

Kylo presses his lips together briefly. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Rey brushes his words off with a fluttering gesture of her fingertips. "Can I ask you something now?"

Averting his eyes, Kylo agrees. "I suppose so." 

"About a month ago, you asked me if I'd lost someone close to me," Rey's eyes shut of their own accord at the memory. She takes a slow breath before continuing, "I told you something that I don't usually share with people. I guess I...let you in." Rey's eyes find Kylo's. "I think it's only fair if you do the same."

"As your English teacher, I feel the need to inform you that none of that was posed as a question." One eyebrow shifts upward.

"Are you teasing me?" A self-deprecating laugh.

"Perhaps."

" _Kylo_." Rey extends a hand on impulse, only just managing to stop herself from touching him. Instead, her hand rests awkwardly on the side of the Icee machine between them.

"Hey Mr. Ren. Rey."

Both heads turn simultaneously.

Joe stands in front of the counter, a small line forming behind him. 

For the next hour, Rey and Kylo work in tandem. She pours the drinks, he takes the money and makes change. They stay busy and only make light conversation.

Only once the fair publicly opens and rides start to operate, does the refreshment stand start to slow down.

"You're going to hate me if I tell you," Kylo says quietly, after their most recent customer walks off.

"I... I don't think that's possible." Rey busies herself with wiping down the drink nozzles.

Their backs are to one another.

He clears his throat loudly before speaking again. "It happened when I was a little younger than you are now."

Rey makes a small, non-commital sound.

"I begged my parents for  _weeks_ to let me practice for my learners' permit. Dad was the one who gave in first and decided to take me out," the strain in Kylo's voice makes Rey's heart ache.

"Everything went well for the first week or so. Dad would pick me up from school and we'd find a semi-empty parking lot and I'd drive around. But it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to go  _fast_ , I wanted it to be real," he inhales sharply. "I finally wore him down, and he let me drive out onto State Route 25."

For the second time today, Rey's stomach turns to knots. This time, it's not for herself. She has a terrible feeling about the direction Kylo's story is taking.

"Dad was so proud of me, saying he couldn't wait to tell my mother that he'd done such a great job training me in so short a time frame."

Kylo turns around now to look at Rey. The pain she saw in his eyes when she vaguely shared her story with him stares across at her once more.

"But you know New York weather, cloudless one moment and pouring rain the next. Dad told me to pull off and let him take over, but I was headstrong. Proud, just like he raised me to be. I insisted that I could handle anything." His eyes press together tightly, and Rey can imagine the scene playing out in his mind. 

"I didn't have time to react when the car in front of me slammed on its breaks. Dad screamed for me to stop, and instead I swerved to the right."

"Kylo, it's okay, you don't have to finish," Rey whispers.

He shakes his head firmly and laughs once, low and sullen. "It's all so ridiculous. That's not even my real name."

"What are you talking about?"

" _Kylo Ren._ I was a coward when I changed my name. I guess I still am."

Rey furrows her brow, confused and upset for him. By him.

"He died, Rey. I was an arrogant little brat who bit off more than I could chew, and my father died because of it."

The words don't surprise her at this point, but they still make Rey want to cry for him. 

Unable to hold back from offering comfort any longer, Rey reaches out and wraps her right hand around his forearm. Her thumb strokes the smooth skin of his wrist. "I'm so sorry..." she trails off, not wanting to repeat the redundant words people always said to her.

"Ben. My name was Ben Solo, before I turned eighteen and changed it." He looks down, eyes focused on where their skin is touching. But he doesn't move.

_Why does that name sound familiar?_

"Ben," Rey repeats slowly, trying the name out. Somehow, it seems to suit him even better than Kylo ever did.

This seems to strike a nerve, because when he looks back up, his chocolate eyes look bright and animated. "My mother is the only one who has called me that in the past decade. When we actually talk."

Everything suddenly clicks into place.

 _Leia Organa-Solo, heiress and CEO of Alderaan Motors, that has to be his mother._  

When Ben pulls away from Rey's touch, for the first time he does so gently. Just creating space, not pushing her away. 

"I told her I changed my name so that I wouldn't sully her reputation any further. But really, I think it was to help her forget about me. I took the person she loved most in the world away, and she's never looked at me the same." Ben rubs the back of his neck, looking out at the fair activities. "Not that I can blame her for that."

Rey's mind races to catch up with all the new information he's just given her. For the first time in the past three months, it truly feels like they are just two people having a conversation.

"Thank you for trusting me," she says, repeating what he'd said to her a month ago.

Ben picks up a paper straw wrapper that someone had discarded on the counter and rolls it into a ball between his thumb and index finger. "I do trust you, Rey. I can't seem to figure out  _why_ exactly that is. But it's there."

Her lips open and shut, wanting to tell him the truth, but knowing she can only give something resembling it. "I want to let you in too. But that's not as easy as it sounds."

"There's something different about you. I could feel it the first day you showed up in my class," he flicks the paper ball into the trashcan under the table. "Are you going to tell me what that is, or do I have to find out on my own?" 

Rey's chest tightens. 

_Am I truly that transparent?_

"Changing of the guard!" Krista announces, rescuing Rey from both Ben and herself.

Shawn has an arm draped comfortably over her shoulder and he gives Rey a friendly smile. "You've done your time." 

"Yes, and you two are right on time," Ben says after a glance down at his watch. "Everything has been going smoothly. There are plenty of cups left and if you need more change, flag down Ms. Tano or Mr. Sharp." 

Ben and Rey walk out the back of the small tent, allowing Krista and Shawn to take their place.

"I promised Rose I would meet her by the Ferris wheel," Rey says, wrapping her arms around herself. 

"Of course, best not to keep Rose waiting."

"Yeah," Rey nods, wishing their conversations didn't always have to end so abruptly. "What should I call you now? When we're not in class."

"Whichever name you prefer," he says with a shrug. Always trying to act casual, but his eyes always betray him. 

"I like Ben, if you don't mind." 

 _Like_ is putting it mildly. It's a safe word, one that could never sum up how it feels to be opened up to.  _Like_ is an appropriate word, but only just.  _Like_ is all Rey is currently able to admit to.

"I don't mind. I like hearing you say it." 

 _Like_ could easily be the death of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it, friends. The plot thickens as our spacebabies have been brought together yet again. 
> 
> A special thank you to my lovely friend Chia_Roscuro (who just started a delightful [Tommy Boy AU](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13334526/chapters/30524655))for helping me brainstorm Kylo's backstory. Or, should I say, BEN's backstory. <3


	11. March 23 & 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hallie's new boyfriend Josh found this club in Brooklyn that doesn't check IDs."
> 
> Rey squints, pressing her lips to the side. "A club?"
> 
> "Not my typical idea of a good time, yes. But one night of dancing isn't going to do any major damage."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your comments on the last chapter, you gave me some very interesting ideas ;)

"You're seventeen. You're busy being carefree and happy. Your friends are the most important thing in your life. Teachers are  _old_  and not in a sexy, illicit way," Rey mutters to herself as she walks across the lawn. 

All around her are the sounds of joy and laughter, and Rey needs to shake off the conversation she's just had and join in. Pronto. 

"There you are!" Rose shouts from a couple yards away. She stands alone, clutching a strip of tickets.

The smile that erupts on Rey's face is genuine. Her friendship with Rose is the only thing that doesn't hurt her conscience as of late. 

"How was working the dunk tank?" she asks, crossing the distance between them.

"Pretty exciting, actually. We have a lot of great pitchers. Somehow, Lindsey talked Mr. Tekka into getting into the tank," Rose's eyes go wide. "I wish you could've seen it! Dylan Trite knocked him in on the first try."

"It sounds like Dylan's been making his rounds tonight," Rey says with a shake of her head. "I'm glad you had a good time." She gestures to the Ferris wheel in front of them. "Shall we?"

"Yes!" Rose breaks off two tickets and hands them to Rey. 

"Thank you."

There isn't much of a line for the ride, so the girls are able to walk right up. Mr. Saliani is overseeing the operations. "Having a good evening, girls?" he asks, taking their tickets.

"Yes."

"Everything's great."

"I'm glad to hear that," the principal smiles. He opens the gate and lets them take their seats before closing it behind them. "Enjoy."

Sitting back, Rose smiles over at her companion. "I'm a little bit afraid of heights. Just a warning."

"What?" Rey laughs once, softly. "Why did you want to ride the Ferris wheel, the tallest thing here?"

"I don't know, I've always wanted to."

"Take a deep breath and hold it until the count of seven, and then slowly release it. That usually helps me when I'm nervous."

Nodding, Rose breathes in through her nose. Deciding to join her, Rey counts out the seconds with her fingers. When she shakes her fingers out, both girls exhale.

"I feel... Calmer," Rose decides. "You always have an answer, Rey. I think you're the most mature girl in our grade."

Rey smiles graciously. "Thanks, but I'd say it's a tie. I feel like I'm learning from  _you_ half of the time in class. What you said about  _Jane Eyre_? Well beyond your years."

"You do that, sometimes. Say things that make it sound like you're older than me," Rose giggles. "I just turned eighteen."

_Smooth move, Jakken._

"Sorry! Only-child syndrome. You're right, I don't turn eighteen until right before graduation." The time-frame comes to Rey without much thought. 

Rose makes a small humming sound.

Initially, Rey assumes it's because the Ferris wheel is nearing the top. But when she looks more closely at her friend, she finds her grinning. "What?"

Waggling her eyebrows up and down teasingly, Rose shakes her head. "Oh, nothing."

"Rose, tell me!"

"I was just wondering if a certain teacher knows the date of your upcoming turn about the sun."

The gasp that escapes Rey is both in character and entirely natural. "Rose Tico! Did you sign me up for the refreshments stand on purpose?"

"A lady never tells," Rose insists, pretending to zip her lips shut.

_Of course. Rose is perceptive. I should have seen this coming._

"Well whatever you're scheming, it didn't work."

"I'm not implying that Mr. Ren would ever do anything unethical, but I wasn't born yesterday. I notice how he looks at you when he thinks no one's watching."

"Eww."

Rose narrows her eyes. " _Uh huh,_ sure."

Inside her pocket, Rey's phone vibrates. She presses a button through the jeans, silencing it. "Let's talk about something fun and  _real_. Like, what are we doing tonight?"

"Fine, we'll put this conversation on pause because I actually do have something fun planned."

Leaning in, Rey nods eagerly. "Tell me more."

"Hallie's new boyfriend Josh found this club in Brooklyn that doesn't check IDs."

Rey squints, pressing her lips to the side. "A club?"

"Not my typical idea of a good time, yes. But one night of dancing isn't going to do any major damage."

Still not looking convinced, Rey sits back. "I don't know."

"It'll be fun, Rey, I promise. Besides, Paige is spending the night with Poe, and in exchange for keeping her secret, she's included me in her cover story. We'll be 'on the Island'," Rose makes exaggerated quotation marks with her first two fingers,"at our cousin Bianca's house."

"Your parents aren't going to want to verify that with Bianca?"

"Already taken care of." Rose nudges Rey with her shoulder. "Come on, when's the last time you let loose and had fun?"

Honestly, longer than Rey cares to remember.

She looks out at the fairgrounds, lit up by the multicolored lanterns. Her eyes scan the crowd for a few moments before Rey realizes she's inadvertently looking for Ben. "I guess... Where will we be sleeping though?"

"At Hallie's. See? The plan is foolproof."

Rey spots Ben playing darts with a few other members of faculty standing around him. They're all smiles and laughter.

_He's living his life just fine. I should do the same._

"Alright, I'm in," Rey agrees, her lips pulled up in a minuscule smile. 

Rose claps her hands together. "I feel like our entire friendship consists of me convincing you to do things you don't want to do."

"Or secretly want to do."

"That sounds better, okay."

The Ferris wheel is making its final descent, and once again, Rey's phone vibrates against her leg. The tight fit of her jeans makes it difficult to slide out, but with some effort Rey manages to free it. 

_Armitage "The General" Hux is Calling..._

Rey gives Rose an awkward smile and presses the phone against her chest. "It's...my dad. He worries."

"Trust me, I get it."

As soon as their car comes to a stop, Rey rushes to get out for some privacy. "Be right back," she calls over her shoulder, already taking long strides towards a less lit area.

Rey slides her finger to accept the call. "Hi, Dad...I miss you too."

"Jakken, you're one sick puppy," Hux snarls into her ear.

"Sorry, sir. I'm trying to maintain a cover."

"Is that what you'd call the love fest you just broadcast?"

"I-"

"A false identity? The son of Leia Organa-Solo? This is better than I ever expected it to be."

_Is this what Hux sounds like when he's happy?_

"Your methods are very questionable, Jakken, but they seem to be quite effective."

"Thank you?"

"Obviously, you've been undercover much longer than anticipated, but now you should have enough information for the story."

"What?"

"Do keep up, Ms. Jakken. I'm pulling you out of Eleanor Roosevelt High School as of this Monday. You can finish the piece here, at the office."

Rey's eyes widen and she nearly drops the phone. "No, I-"

"What do you mean 'no'?"

_If you would let me finish for once..._

"I mean, yes, I did get a lot of, er, information tonight. But I have a plan."

_I do?_

"You do?"

"Yes. I need to stay on at least another month, until the senior class trip."

Silence for a few painstakingly long moments. 

"Is this teacher of yours one of the chaperones on the trip?"

_Is he?_

"Yes, definitely. That's...why I need more time. To take the trip with him."

Hux breathes deeply into the phone, making the hairs on the back of Rey's neck raise. "Fine. One month, and not a day more."

"Thank you, sir! You'll-"

A beep sounds in her ear, letting her know that Hux has ended the call. 

_What did I just sign myself up for?_

* * *

A few hours later, Rey finds herself shivering on a barely lit street in Brooklyn. She's now wearing a sequined dress borrowed from Hallie that only _just_ covers her rump. Fishnet stockings offer no practicality or warmth from the cool March air, and the open-toed sandals with thick metallic block heels aren't exactly made for walking.

Rey's only solace in the ensemble is that it does not include her spaceship pin. She left that under her discarded clothes in a pile on Hallie's bedroom floor.

"Okay, act casual, like we belong here," Hallie's boyfriend, Josh, instructs the group.

Krista and Shawn have decided to join in at the last minute, making it a party of six.

Rose smooths out her own dress, a v-neck white one with polka dots and large flowers covering it, and tries to relax her facial expression. "My birthday? March 4, 1996," she practices.

Focusing on a fresh piece of gum on the wall, Rey tries not to laugh. If Rose really were asked that question, it would be a stretch for her to pass as 22. 

Rey's own birthday, just around the corner, could easily be called to mind.

_April 10, 1993._

Although it probably wouldn't be wise to give that exact year.

"Our turn," Hallie stage whispers.

They approach a tall woman with elaborately braided blue hair. She stands with her arms crossed, leaning against the building. Dark eyes pass over the group with a look of boredom. Wordlessly, she nods, and they walk past her hastily. 

Bright neon lights direct them into a large room filled with the pulsating beat of a remixed Top 40 hit. The air is foggy and thick with smoke and the breath of so many bodies.

Rey surveys the crowd, mostly under-aged kids with a few exceptions. The majority of the people are dancing in various stages of intoxication.

A hand latches onto her arm. "Should we get a drink?" Rose asks, looking as young as Rey has ever seen her.

"Let's dance first," Rey replies. 

_I have no control over any of these kids drinking, but I won't be the one to hand it to them._

Rose looks relieved. "Yeah!"

The pair squeeze their way through warm bodies until they find a small square of space. They regard each other with meek smiles, starting to nod along to the beat.

"C'mon," Rey says, taking both of Rose's hands.

She starts to step side-to-side, shimmying their arms back and forth. Rose mirrors the moves.

After a minute of this, Rey lets go of one of Rose's hands and spins her around. When she turns back around, Rose is grinning. 

Now loosened up, they fall into an easy routine. Songs come and go quickly, and Rey finds she's losing track of the time.

"Hey guys, can we join?" Krista has a half-finished drink in her hand. 

"The more the merrier," Rose agrees. 

Hallie, Josh and Shawn also have suspicious looking drinks when they make their way over into what is now a dance circle.

As a group, they continue to dance, though it's easy to notice when the couples begin to pair up.

A pang of longing twists inside of Rey and she presses her lips against Rose's ear, "I'll be right back."

Rose nods and keeps dancing, a blissfully sweaty mess.

Rey works her way over to the bar and falls onto a stool. 

"What'll it be?" A twenty-something young woman asks.

"Dealer's choice."

The bartender smiles. "Bad day?"

Rey hesitates at the question. Under any other circumstances, getting to know more about a handsome, mysterious man would have made it a good day. 

She settles on a wordless shrug. 

"Man problems, huh? I've got just the trick." She gets to work, pouring from different bottles into a shaker.

Rey resigns herself to people-watching while she waits. 

When a tall, broad shouldered man with dark hair walks in, her heart speeds up. Rey has to force herself to stay seated.

Only as he nears the bar does she realize that he is someone inconsequential to her. 

_Ben wouldn't be here, don't be ridiculous!_

"Do you want to start a tab?" The bartender asks, placing a tall glass filled with green liquid in front of Rey.

Turning back around, Rey nods and fishes a card out from her bra. She hands it over to the woman and takes a long drink. 

Whatever the woman put in here, it tastes strong, and only just disguised by the cloying sweetness.

"Here you go," the woman says, extending the credit card.

"Thanks." 

Rey replaces the card and finishes the drink, feeling an insistent need to get back onto the dance floor. Her mind hadn't been reeling when it was filled with music and movement.

Scooting her chair back, Rey takes a moment to find her footing in the ridiculous heels before she rejoins her friends.

"Heeey," Rey yells above the music, wedging her way back into the circle.

"Whoa there," Rose shouts back, waving her hand in front of her nose. "Had a little drink did we?"

Rey smiles and nods eagerly. "Yup. I deserved it."

"And you didn't bring me anything? I'm offended."

"Wounded?"

"Just a bit."

They share a laugh and fall back into motion, Rey dancing closer now.

_I can live my life and have fun too._

An indeterminable amount of time later, Rey feels a tapping against her shoulder. She turns to see Josh and Hallie, grinning like idiots as they hold a tray of shots out.

"Help yourselves," Josh shouts.

Rose seems to hesitate before taking a small glass, and she nurses it between her hands. Rey, on the other hand, reaches out for a glass and downs it quickly.

"Ahh!"

"Rey knows what she's doing," Hallie yells, looking impressed.

Nodding loosely, Rey replies, "You bet I do. I can drink anyone in here under the table."

* * *

Nausea wakes Rey from a dreamless slumber. 

_Where am I?_

She rolls over too quickly and falls onto cold hardwood floor, landing painfully against her shoulder. "Ow!"

" _Shhhhh!_ " A familiar voice whispers from across the room.

Pushing herself up into a sitting position, Rey takes stock of her surroundings.

The room she's in is dimly lit through the light coming in through a large window. 

_It's morning._

Two other bodies are spread out on air mattresses nearby and she's able to make out someone snoring on a bed in the corner of the room.

_Rose, Krista, Hallie._

Rey's stomach gurgles and she urgently pushes herself into a standing position, only to feel the room move around her.

_Slowly._

Taking her time and using a small endtable to balance herself, Rey comes to her feet.

_Bathroom. Now._

Rey's feet seem to know where to go better than her mind does, as she walks out the bedroom and down the hallway to a small bathroom. 

She falls to her knees in front of a porcelain toilet and pushes the seat up. Rey braces herself with both hands on the bowl and dry heaves. The pain in her throat announces itself.

_Apparently, I've already done this at least once before._

Rey doesn't bother trying to move for a few minutes, she just sits on the tile floor and breathes deeply.

_What happened last night?_

Gradually, images pop into her head. 

Dancing at the club. Dancing with her friends. Taking a shot. More shots. More dancing. Dancing with strangers. Another drink- no, it was a competition. And she'd won. 

After that point, her memory fades into black.

_Great. Real family-friendly fun you got into with a bunch of teenagers._

Deciding that she's already thrown up the contents of her stomach, Rey closes the toilet lid and carefully stands up.

She moves to the sink and splashes water on her face. The cold sensation triggers a headache.

_Wonderful. Anything else, world?_

Rey exits the bathroom and attempts to tip-toe back to Hallie's bedroom. At least she isn't stomping around.

The three girls still lay sleeping.

Knowing she can't fall back asleep, Rey locates her backpack. She pulls out the t-shirt she'd meant to sleep in and pulls it over the sequined mini dress.

Squinting in the early morning light, Rey slowly walks around the room until she's able to find both her wallet and cellphone. 

"I'm gonna run to the store, does anyone need anything?" she whispers. 

No response.

"Alright then."

With her personal items in hand, Rey walks through the house. She's relieved to find her boots by the door and slips them on before hitting the street.

One good thing about New York is that no matter where you are, you're never far from a corner store. All Rey has to do is pick a direction to walk.

On a whim, she chooses left and walks a block and a half before finding a Corner News and Grocery.

The bells chime as she walks into the brightly lit convenience store. Rey nearly gags, the smell of hot dogs and taquitos ambushing her nose.

_No food._

She pads over to the refrigerated cases and takes a minute to peruse the Gatorade selection.

"No way,  _Niima Outpost_? I used to go there all the time before they closed." The voice behind her is too loud for whatever time of morning this is. 

"Same here, it's a travesty the health department shut them down." Rey turns around, about to ask the guy why he's so chipper on a Saturday morning.

"Rey?" 

_Oh, bloody hell._

Ben stands there with a roll of paper towels tucked under one arm and a newspaper in the other. 

"Hi, Ben," she says lamely.

His nose wrinkles when her breath hits him. Eyes roam across her face and over her outfit. "Are you hungover?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's all pretend for a moment that a club like the one mentioned above does exist. I'm sorry if that was too much of a stretch for anyone!


	12. March 24 - 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To do what? Spy on the prodigal son of _Alderaan Motors_?" He hisses. 
> 
> "No! Well, it didn't start out that way... But I was never going to betray you, Ben."
> 
> His face hardens as if she'd just slapped him. "Don't you dare call me that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY. Rey's had this coming for a while now.

"Don't be ridiculous," Rey answers. Her words come out more confident than she's currently feeling. 

She turns back to the refrigerated case and opens it, as if ignoring Ben will make this whole untimely meeting go away. 

Rey is just selecting a water bottle when Ben's hand touches her shoulder, gently moving her back around to face him.

With the sunlight flooding into the convenience store, Ben's eyes seem lighter. Flecks of warm caramel surround the pupil of his chocolate colored eyes. 

He is entirely too put together considering the time of day. Checkered flannel half-tucked into dark jeans and a faded denim jacket. 

_Obviously a morning person._

"Rey," he murmurs, shaking his head. When Ben looks at her, it's as if he's looking right through her.

She feels so exposed in front of him, still dressed in last night's outfit with some strange modifications. Her hair is no doubt a giant mess, but the three buns are still somewhat in tact. At least she hadn't been wearing any makeup, or that would be smudged around her eyes as well. 

Even if she was currently stone cold sober, lying to Ben would a difficult task.

Right now- head pounding, nauseous and dying of thirst- Rey stands no chance. 

Twisting the top off the water bottle, she brings it to her lips and takes a long drink. Rey wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, recaps the bottle, and a hiccup escapes.

"Kriff, you _are_ hungover."

Ben's eyes are so disappointed that it doesn't seem fair. 

_Thanks, universe, for never letting me have any fun._

"You're hungover," he reiterates, "in a Midtown grocery store, wearing a t-shirt for a dive bar over- what is that? A child's dress?"

It's almost like she can see him piecing this together in his mind.

"A dive bar that closed down when you should have been in, what, middle school?" Ben's voice is raised slightly, like when he's scolding someone in class.

Rey's mouth feels like it's full of cotton, dry and too full to speak. 

"But how can that be? You just told me that you used to go all the time."

She shakes her head, willing him to stop talking. To stop thinking.

Pressing a thumb against his bottom lip, Ben studies her face in the most unnerving way. The surprised look he'd worn not a minute before is now replaced with skepticism. 

Rey fidgets, bouncing from one foot to the other. Thoughts of running out the door die when Ben's brows shoot up.

_What is this look?_

_Recognition._

_Oh, druk._

"I've seen you there. Four years ago," his confident tone leaves no room for questioning. "You were doing karaoke in the corner...with a dark-haired shorter guy." Ben runs a hand through his shaggy mane. "I  _knew_ I'd seen you before. I recognized you the first day of the semester, but I just couldn't place  _where_ I knew you from."

Tears begin to well in Rey's eyes, yet she remains frozen. 

"You  _lied_ to me, to everyone. For what purpose?" He demands.

_Words. Where are my words?_

_You can still save this, brain._

Rey only manages to avert her gaze, looking around the small convenience store.

Apart from a woman behind the counter in the back, they are alone. For the first time, this knowledge does not fill Rey with deliciously nervous tension.

"I told you things that no one else knows. I  _trusted_ you, Rey," Ben's voice seems to crack, breaking both of them in one fell swoop. "Is Rey even your real name?"

The saline liquid leaves a shiny trail as it slides down her cheeks. 

"For kriff's sake, say something!"

"It was never personal," she finally says, whispering. "I work for  _The New York Times_."

Ben takes a step back into a shelf full of trail mix and corn nuts. 

"I'm a copy editor, just trying to catch a break. My boss offered me an undercover assignment and I jumped at the chance."

"To do what? Spy on the prodigal son of  _Alderaan Motors_?" He hisses. 

" _No!_ Well, it didn't start out that way... But I was never going to betray you, Ben."

His face hardens as if she'd just slapped him. "Don't you dare call me that."

Rey gives in to the tears now, her voice hitching. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you so badly. I just thought... if I could come up with a different story and then tell you on my own, you'd be..."

"What? That I'd be  _happy?_ Because it turns out that all along I was allowed to be attracted to you?"

She sniffles, wiping at her cheeks. Those are the words she's assumed but desperately needed to hear. "You were attracted to me?" 

"For heaven's sake, Rey, you set me up for a story!" Ben crushes the newspaper into his fist.

"No, I-"

"Just drop the act. Do you have any idea what I went through, thinking I was attracted to a seventeen year old girl? It was unethical and I spent my nights pondering what the hell I was going to do when I couldn't teach anymore!" A bitter laugh. "I mean, every word out of your mouth has been a complete lie," he trails off. Anger replaced with betrayal. "I don't know you at all."

"But you do know me, you know me better than almost anyone," she pleads. "Some part of you knew that the poem was about my parents."

Ben flinches at the last word, staring at her. The softness in his eyes that she's grown so accustomed to is nowhere to be seen. After a few moments, he wordlessly shakes his head and starts to walk towards the check-out counter.

Rey attempts to keep up with his long strides as she follows him, needing to pay for her water. 

"Thanks, have a good day," Ben says to the woman after he's paid. He turns and heads for the door, not even acknowledging Rey's presence in line.

Feebly, Rey reaches out and catches the tail of his jacket. "Wait, please don't walk away."

Barely turning his head so that he can look at her from the corner of his eyes, Ben sighs, "I just can't look at you the same way."

* * *

Rey spends the rest of Saturday near the phone. Every time it sounds with an alert, for a sickening moment she thinks it's Hux calling to fire her.

She sets a Google alert for 'Alderaan', 'Organa' and 'Solo'. Nothing other than news of  _Alderaan Motors_ acquiring _Resistance A_ _eronautics_ comes up.

Sitting in a booth at the neighborhood IHOP on Sunday, Rey stirs a packet of sugar into her coffee. Poe is across from her, texting away with a grin plastered on his face. 

This is the first time they've been together in close to a week, and both foster siblings are only present physically.

"You're a talkative couple," the waitress comments as she fills their water glasses.

"Huh?" Rey asks, looking up from her coffee. The waitress has already moved along to another table. "Poe."

Laughing at something on his screen, Poe looks up. "Yeah?"

"I don't know, it's weird not to be talking."

"Sorry," he says, placing the phone face down on the table. "Paige can wait."

"Did you two have a nice time on Friday?" 

Poe's smile grows, unbridled. " _Yes._ Thank you for letting us have the apartment."

"No problem," Rey replies. She takes a sip of her coffee, purses her lips, and adds a splash of cream. On second taste, she nods thoughtfully.

_Just the way I like it._

"What about you? How was your slumber party?"

Groaning, Rey covers her face with her left hand.

"That bad, huh?"

"I broke my cover," she mumbles.

"I'm sorry, what did you say? Because it sounded like you said you  _broke your cover_."

Rey slowly slides her hand down her face, stopping to rest her index finger between her lips and her thumb under her chin. "I did."

"What?!"

"Not with Rose, don't freak out," she says. "Although I might as well have. Everyone's going to know tomorrow."

The waitress arrives with their breakfast.

Rey spares no detail as she explains yesterday's events in between bites of food.

Once she's finished, Poe leans back against the plush booth, biting the tines of his fork. After a little while he says, "It might not be over yet."

"You didn't see his face, Poe. I really kriffed him up."

He waves this sentiment away. "I mean at school and with your story. You haven't actually heard otherwise, have you?"

Pursing her lips, Rey shakes her head. "No, but only time will tell. Ben has no reason to keep my secret."

"Are you sure about that? You're right, I wasn't there to see how everything went down. But what I do know is that he can't be a total prick. You'd never be interested in someone who was," Poe says matter-of-factly. He clasps his hands together on top of the table. "So, is he mad as hell? Yes. But I don't think you should assume he's going to get you fired. Even if, no offense, he probably should."

Unable to argue with that logic, Rey resigns herself to finishing her coffee.

* * *

The next morning, Rey wakes feeling like many teenagers do- restless and having no desire to go to class.

As she gets ready for the day, Rey decides she's had enough with Hux being able to spy on every embarrassing moment of her life. She picks the spaceship pin up from her desk and holds it in her palm, contemplating how to get rid of the thing without too much suspicion.

For the time being, Rey pins it to her top as if this were just another day. 

On the bus to school, she figures out what to do. 

The vehicle stops and Rey waits until her fellow students have exited to take her turn. As she walks down onto the sidewalk from the elevated position, Rey pretends to stumble. Not enough so that she falls to the ground, but so she slams into the door frame. Her pin presses against the metal and she swiftly reaches through the neck of her shirt to pull off the rubber back. 

Now freed, the pin clatters onto the asphalt. Rey presses her lips into a smile and walks towards the school. Only once the bus rolls past does she look behind her to check that it had been run over. 

_Let them find fault with that._

Rey heads into the building and shortly thereafter finds Rose at her locker. 

After she'd returned to Hallie's on Saturday, the four girls made pancakes and watched re-runs until Rey deemed them sober enough to face their parents. 

"Good morning, dancing queen."

"Hi!" Rose smiles, peppy as always. "You were pretty great out there yourself."

"Thanks, we were definitely all in rare form."

Rose closes her locker and reattaches the padlock. "Yeah. I'm gonna need some time before we make a repeat performance."

Shaking her head dramatically, Rey laughs, "My dancing shoes are permanently retired."

They walk to the staircase and pad up together. 

"What a shame for the rest of the world," Rose teases. "Or maybe just one person in particular."

"Mhm," Rey hums a neutral sound. 

As per usual, the door to English 12 is wide open and welcoming. Rey's heartbeat picks up when she trails in behind Rose. 

When she's imagined this moment, Rey thought she would walk right to her desk without a glance in Ben's direction. But now that the time has come, she finds her eyes drawn to his desk like a pair of magnets. 

Physically, nothing has changed about this infuriatingly mesmerizing teacher. Perfectly mussed hair, firmly set jaw and downcast eyes as he reads over the day's lesson. 

Ben's mouth twitches upward in the corner, alerted to Rey's presence when she walks past him. Still, he keeps his eyes fixed on the page.

"Good morning, Mr. Ren!" Rose chirps, placing a notebook and pencil _just so_ on her desk. 

He raises his head and pointedly looks just at Rose. "Good morning. Did you have a nice weekend?"

" _The best._ Rey and I went dancing. Do you dance, Mr. Ren?"

"Decidedly not."

"Not even if you had a really good dance partner? Rey-"

"No, never," he cuts her off. 

"Leave the man, alone," Rey says with a sigh, taking her seat. 

Only now does Ben risk a glance at her, his eyes void of expression. "What excellent advice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks goes to Chia_Roscuro for beta'ing this chapter ~~and calling out my evident thirst for Ben~~.


	13. March 26 - April 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Remember the lectures he's been giving on the Byronic hero?"
> 
> "Of course, he's kind of obsessed."
> 
> "I want to give him a really nice copy of some of those books. As a thank-you, for managing to _slightly_ change my opinion," Rey looks down bashfully.

" _What excellent advice."_ Those words echoed in Rey's mind during every waking hour and sometimes in her dreams. As did the detached look in Ben's eyes as he said them.  She had really hurt him and broken the small circle of trust they'd built up over the past three months.

Without their regular conversations to distract her, it didn't take long for Rey to realize just how much she'd come to care for Ben. The obvious attraction she felt for him went much deeper than physical looks. He was in many ways her equal, mentally and emotionally. Not that she would admit that to anyone else. 

So for that entire week, Rey tried to heed her own advice of "leaving the man alone". She kept her thoughts to herself in class, she kept her head down when they passed each other in the hallway, she kept her eyes to the paper when it was her turn to read aloud in poetry club. 

By the following Monday, she felt hopeful that maybe time was all Ben needed. The cool disregard with which he treated her let Rey know just how wrong she had been. He'd told her that he didn't really know her. If she wanted to make things right, sitting back idly was not going to work.

Perceptive Rose assumes that something has happened between them, and it takes all of Rey's restraint not to further break cover and tell her. 

It's not until Wednesday evening, sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Tico family library, that an idea occurs to Rey.

"Rose!" Rey breaks the comfortable silence in which they've been studying. 

"Hmm?" Rose asks, still hunched over the notebook in her lap.

"How much attachment does your dad have to the books that  _aren't_ first-editions?"

Rose lifts one shoulder in a shrug. "I don't know. Why?"

"I just had an idea. It's probably dumb, forget I asked."

Placing her notebook on the floor beside her, Rose shakes her head. "There's no such thing as an entirely bad idea."

Rey sighs softly. "Okay, you know how Mr. Ren has been giving me the cold shoulder?"

This catches Rose's attention. "Yes!" She leans in closer to Rey.

"I was thinking, maybe I could get back in his good graces with a few well-planned gifts."

"I don't think you can bribe Mr. Ren," Rose says, her eyelids closing slightly.

"No, not a bribe! I... I wish I could explain exactly what happened, but for now can we just keep it really simple?"

Eager nodding.

"He gave me a secret to keep and I unintentionally betrayed his trust," Rey frowns, blowing out a long sigh. "I feel terrible and I want things to be right between us again. He's my...favorite teacher."

A toothy grin forms on Rose's lips. "I  _knew_ you didn't really hate him as much as you pretended to! So, what's your idea?"

"Remember the lectures he's been giving on the Byronic hero?"

"Of course, he's kind of obsessed."

"I want to give him a really nice copy of some of those books. As a thank-you, for managing to  _slightly_ change my opinion," Rey looks down bashfully.

"Ohmygod, I love that idea!" Rose squeals. She gets to her feet and walks over to the section of paperbacks. "Which ones did you have in mind?"

She looks up at the shelves from her seated position. "All the most angsty novels. _Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, The Phantom of the Opera_ and _Jane Eyre_ , of course, can't forget how much he loves that one," Rey laughs thoughtfully.

Rose pulls copies from the bookshelves as Rey names them and then plops back down on the floor, offering them to her friend. 

"Are you sure your dad won't mind?" Rey hesitantly asks.

"They're not first-editions and they aren't hardcovers. Which means they aren't worth a small fortune," Rose says, placing the books on Rey's lap. "I'm confident he would give you these himself."

"Thank you so much," Rey runs her fingertips lightly over the book covers. "I hope he'll accept them from me."

"Just put them on his desk 'anonymously'," Rose says, making finger quotations. "Then he'll have no choice."

"Rose Tico, what would I do without you?" Rey asks honestly.

"Let's hope we never have to find out."

* * *

Later that evening as she's sitting down to eat a very limp looking salad brought home by Poe, Rey's phone lights up.

_(2) New Text Messages from Finn_

Spearing a tomato with her fork, she unlocks the phone.

> **\---- Wednesday, April 4 ----**
> 
> **– Finn | 7:35 –**
> 
> _Hey Peanut. Katherine wants to know what kind of pin you want._
> 
> _Since the spaceship had its "accident"._

 

Rey's nose wriggles with displeasure. Her only solace about things with Ben has been that no one was watching him ignore her. She's been hoping that maybe Hux lost interest, given what he's already seen. Clearly, the assumption is wrong.

She types out a reply.

> **– Rey | 7:36 –**
> 
> _How about an invisible pin._
> 
> _A weightless, invisible pin._

His response comes immediately.

> **– Finn | 7:36 –**
> 
> _In other words, you don't want a new one?_

Rey smiles and murmurs, "Smart boy."

> **– Rey | 7:37 –**
> 
> _Ding, ding, ding! We have a WINNER._
> 
> _Also, when did Katherine ask?_
> 
> _Because office hours are over._
> 
> **– Rey | 7:40 –**
> 
> _Finn?_
> 
> **– Rey | 7:55 –**
> 
> _FINN!_

Her phone is unusually silent as she finishes her dinner.

Rey does the dishes that have collected in the sink and has started to write a note for the first book when Finn finally responds.

> **– Finn | 8:52 –**
> 
> _I plead the Fifth._

 

* * *

Despite the effort it takes to pry herself out of bed early, Rey decides that it was well worth it. For once, she has beaten Ben to class. 

Rey approaches his unoccupied desk reverentially. 

If viewed objectively, it's nothing spectacular. The desk calendar is filled in sparsely, only with dates of upcoming lessons and tests. Metal paper trays sit empty. Pencil cups are overfilled with various highlighters and writing instruments. Only a small model car on the edge of the desk offers insight into the desk's usual occupant. 

Standing in front of Ben's chair, Rey carefully places the copy of  _Jane Eyre_ on the center of the desk. Tucked just inside the cover is a note written last night:

**K.R./B.S.,**

**You told me that you can't look at me the same anymore,**  
**and I don't blame you.**  
**I had to create a piece of fiction,**  
**but most of the details were true.**  
**Here are some more truths:**

 **-My middle name is Eleanor.**  
**-I graduated Fordham University in May 2016.**  
**-My favorite color is green. Sometimes I favor sage,**  
**others emerald, but always green.**  
**-I don't deserve your forgiveness**  
**but I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't try.**

She knows there is risk involved in leaving this lying around. Rose could pick it up, or even another member of faculty. But in this case the outcome will make it worthwhile. 

Rey gives the book one last meaningful look before she steps back and goes to take her seat. She removes her English notebook and a retractable pencil from her leather satchel. Rereading the drafted essay inside, Rey motions like she's underlining the words as she goes. 

Heavy footsteps echo down the hallway, getting closer until the teacher enters the classroom. Rey's steady breathing hitches, even as she keeps her head down.

Ben sets his messenger bag down on the floor beside his desk and takes his seat. "Where...?" He quietly asks no one in particular. 

Daring a quick glance up, Rey watches him pick up the book. She drops her chin once more, seeing the notecard flutter out and land beneath his desk. 

His chair skids back and he bends down to retrieve the note.

Moments stretch out, heat creeping up Rey's neck as she knows he's reading her words.

Students begin to file into the classroom and find their seats and the quiet quickly turns to chatter. 

Dropping the pencil on the desk, Rey turns in her seat to greet her friends. She does not fail to notice Ben wordlessly depositing both the note and book into his bag. 

* * *

"Did you pick up your tickets from the office yet?" Rose asks. Her legs are tucked under her as she lounges in one of the school library's over-sized chairs.  

"I got them after lunch," Rey replies. 

The senior class trip to Walt Disney World leaves in exactly two weeks, on Friday the 20th. Ideas of suntans and rollercoasters are all anyone can seem to talk about. For most of these kids, it'll be their first big trip without direct parental supervision. 

So far, a good number of teachers have signed up to chaperone along with family members over the age of 21. It took a lot of pleading and bargaining, but Rose managed to convince Paige to leave Poe to his own devices for the weekend and come along.

Rey was instructed to ask her "parents" if they'd like to sign up as well, and she quickly shot that one down with excuses of important work obligations. 

"Doesn't Disney sound juvenile to anyone else? We're all practically legal adults," Joe mutters to the currently present members of the poetry club. 

Beatrice Jane, usually just referred to as Jane, replies first. "Don't be so ageist. There plenty of mature attractions. Haven't you ever been to Epcot?"

"Some of us weren't fortunate enough to vacation to Florida every summer," Rose adds. 

_Or at all._

"No one's forcing you to go," Lindsey says quietly, not lifting her eyes from the book in front of her. 

Frustrated, Joe exhales loudly. "Whatever. None of you share my intellectual sentiments."

"You sound heavily burdened," Ben's deep voice announces his presence. 

Rey tries to look over at him casually. As if she hasn't spent the past day and a half wondering how he felt about her gift and the attached musings. 

"We're talking about the senior trip, Mr. Ren," Rose says. "Are you going to be chaperoning?"

For once, Rose's meddling falls on grateful ears. Rey has been trying in vain to find out that very thing. 

Ben pulls a wooden chair towards the group and takes a seat. "How could I turn down a free vacation?" His tone is even, emotionless. 

Rey finds herself smiling and quickly presses her lips together, feigning indifference.

"Now that Mr. Ren is here, we can begin," Lindsey announces, sitting up in her chair. "Last time the club met, we decided to try something different. Instead of sharing our own works, today we'll be sharing published poetry that has touched us."

Clutching her moleskin notebook tightly, Rey takes in a deep breath.

"Going alphabetically by last name," Lindsey says, visually scanning a list, "Rey Eliot is first."

Rey clears her throat and glances around the circle of chairs at her fellow literature nerds. "I've gone a little outside of the box and chosen song lyrics," she begins, bringing the notebook closer to her eyes. "This is a section taken from  _Muscle Memory_ written by Lights."

Five sets of eyes stare intently at her, making Rey's pulse race. 

_This should feel easier than sharing something I've written myself._

_Just read the words._

"When I am alone, I/See you in the dark, I/Talk into the empty/Like you were with me," Rey dares a peek up from the paper. Four sets of eyes still watch her, but not the one whose attention she really wants.

Ben sits slouched down in his seat, making the already small chair look comically tiny in comparison to his body. One hand is balled up into a fist in his lap, the other presses against the side of his face, partially obstructing his view.

Dropping her gaze, Rey continues. "Started on a cold night/Felt you in the low light/Noticing the reflex/Taking over me/I see you when I reach/Muscle memory/I feel you when I sleep/Muscle memory." 

Rey closes the notebook firmly and wraps both hands around it, bringing it down onto her lap. Her cheeks are red but at least her pulse has slowed, the hardest part now over.

"That was...kind of sexy," Lindsey decides with a small grin.

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend," Joe quips.

Rose looks at Rey curiously and Rey shrugs. "Well, um..."

Releasing his fist with a sigh, Ben chimes in, "Finn, right?" He looks at the confused faces of the students and continues, "One of my old students."

It's all Rey can do to nod, grateful that he's saved her. "Ex-boyfriend, but yeah. Finn."

"Interesting, I want to hear about that later," Lindsey states. "Next up is Jane."

A faint smile pulls at Rey's lips.

While the other students look eagerly at Jane, Rey finally catches Ben's eyes. She mouths  _'thanks'_ and when he nods his acceptance, Ben almost smiles back.

* * *

Ben waits around until the poetry club students have all left the library, busying himself with returning chairs to their proper places and re-shelving books. Once he's confident he is alone, he props his messenger bag up on a small table and rifles through it until he locates the copy of  _Jane Eyre_. 

An unsolicited smile presses up into his cheeks as he looks down at the book. Opening the front cover, Ben's eyes reread the small note for the fourth time today. "Kriff, this girl," he murmurs to himself before putting the contents safely back into his bag.

He makes his way out of the library, through the school hallways and out the main entrance. Once he's on the sidewalk, starting toward the nearest subway station, Ben pulls out his phone.

Not the type to save contact information, Ben has no trouble tapping in the number he wants from memory.

On the second ring, the call is accepted. "Ben, is that you? I'm so glad to hear from you! It's been months since-"

"Mother," he firmly cuts her off, "I think I need some advice."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like after the last chapter the fic has come to a crossroads. Because of that, I had trouble deciding how exactly I want to proceed. Which is why it took me a little longer to post.
> 
> Right now, I think I have a clearer idea of how the rest of the story will go, but please let me know if you have anything you'd like to see!
> 
> xx


	14. April 9 - 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Have you ever read _The Phantom of the Opera_ , Ms. Eliot?"
> 
> Being called by her fake name doesn't even bother Rey, because he's finally talking to her unprompted. 
> 
> "No, but I like the musical quite a bit."
> 
> "As do I," Ben replies. "But don't go spreading that around." His lips press together in a small, conspiratorial smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter to make this Monday less...Monday! <3

On Monday, Rey leaves the copy of  _Pride and Prejudice_ on Ben's desk. Just as before, there is a note-card tucked under the cover:

 **-I've never had any pets,**  
**because they weren't allowed in my foster homes,**  
**but I quite like cats.**  
**-Tomorrow I'll be 25.**  
**-I live in East Harlem with my foster brother, Poe.**  
**(Poe  is dating Rose's older sister,**  
**so this is especially sensitive information.)**  
**-I wish you'd come to say hello when you saw me at _Niima._** **Or that I'd noticed you.**

When Ben saunters into the classroom shortly thereafter, he does a double take at his desk before peering directly at Rey.

A sheepish smile makes itself known to him before she bites into her lower lip and looks away, silently urging him to pick it up.

During class, Rey finally risks raising her hand and Ben calls on her without much hesitation. When she speaks, he looks at her instead of around the classroom.

On Wednesday, _The Phantom of the Opera_  by Gaston Leroux is gifted. Its note reads:

 **-I think you'd like Poe, once you see past**  
**his overconfidence, he's a great man.**  
**-Finn never was my boyfriend.**  
**He's my best friend and boss.**  
**-Besides meeting you, Rose has been**  
**the best part of this experience for me.**  
**-You really are the best teacher I've had.**  
**My first, actual, high school experience**  
**was pretty awful. I never stayed at one**  
**school for more than three months at a time.**

This time, Ben picks up the book and walks around to the front of his desk before opening it. He leans against the counter in that easygoing way of his.

Not only is there a note inside the cover, but a small child's valentine is placed behind it. It's a red rectangular card with a comic-style Spider-Man and a pre-printed inscription that reads:  _My spidey-sense isn't the only thing that's tingling._

When he sees the valentine, Ben actually laughs out loud. A delicious, unselfconscious laugh. 

To Rey's surprise, he addresses her directly. "Have you ever read  _The Phantom of the Opera,_ Ms. Eliot?"

Being called by her fake name doesn't even bother Rey, because he's finally talking to her unprompted. 

"No, but I like the musical quite a bit."

"As do I," Ben replies. "But don't go spreading that around." His lips press together in a small, conspiratorial smile.

Rey matches it with one of her own. "Your secret is safe with me, Mr. Ren."

On Friday, Rey brings in the last book.  _Wuthering Heights._ This one she holds onto until the end of first period, wanting to hand it to Ben directly.

"I'll see you at lunch," she tells Rose, taking the paperback novel out of her satchel.

Rose gives her a knowing smile. "See you then."

Despite being one to meddle in the past, Rose has been surprisingly quiet on the subject of Mr. Ren this week.

It's just curious enough to make Rey take pause, but not so much that she's worried. If anything, she's grateful for the privacy.

"Mr. Ren," Rey says carefully, his chosen name feeling strange on her tongue.

She approaches his desk with the book extended towards him, a small barrier between them.

Ben looks around the classroom. "Another one, Rey?" His eyebrows arch slightly and he accepts the book.

"It's the last one."

Used to the pattern by now, Ben begins to lift the cover.

"Wait!" Rey says loudly, reaching out on impulse to grab his hand. 

They lock eyes, her grasp having successfully stopped him from reading the note. 

Rey's breath comes shallow now, and she lets her hand linger for a few long seconds before finally letting go. "I just... I don't want you to read it in front of me," she whispers.

Ben nods once, his usual facade crumbling in the wake of their touch.

She manages a shaky smile. "Thank you."

"You didn't have to do...this."

"I didn't know what else to do," Rey says with a small sigh. "I'm already failing at my first investigative assignment. Finn's mad at me. Poe's busy with Paige. I don't really have anyone else."

He blinks a few times, allowing her to continue.

"Not that I unbiasedly just want  _someone else_ ," she quickly adds. Rey focuses her eyes down on Ben's hands, holding the book like it's something precious. "Is it too far-fetched of me to hope that you'd want to try again, after this is all over?"

"Um-"

"Or maybe try again isn't the right phrase! We never had anything, I just thought..." Rey trails off, looking back up. "Nevermind. That's not important right now."

"Rey..."

Embarrassed and finding him too hard to read, Rey turns to go. "This one tells you what you need to know. What you probably already gathered...This is my heaviest burden."

* * *

Ben watches as Rey hurries out of the classroom, his mouth agape. She hadn't left him much room to speak and tell her what  _ ~~~~he_ wanted.

Carefully lifting the cover, his brown eyes absorb the words:

 **It happened on November 12, 2001. I was eight.**  
**They were flying to the Dominican Republic,**  
**but they didn't even make it out of the state.**  
**The plane crashed in Queens.**  
**251 passengers, 9 crew members dead.**  
**Duncan and Gwendolyn Jakken were their names.**

His chest tightens as the message sinks in. All of this time he's been worried about what Rey would do with the information about his family, and for what? Her loss had been just as brutal as his, maybe even more so. 

All of the sudden, certain lines from her poetry take on new meaning. 

Ben closes the book and brings it up to rest against his forehead, taking ragged breaths. 

_She didn't deserve this._

He stays like that for a couple of minutes, just trying to calm himself down and process the new information rationally. 

Second period students start to pour into the classroom and Ben knows his personal time is over. 

Without thinking, he presses a featherlight kiss to the book before placing it into his bag for safekeeping. 

* * *

It starts off as mere curiosity.

Ben just so happens to be leaving the building at the end of day as Rey does. He starts to walk to the left towards the subway station, and she's just ahead of him heading for the bus stop. 

When Rey checks her phone, no doubt realizing she's got a long wait before the next bus, Ben thinks this is the last he'll see of her until Monday. But she just keeps walking down the sidewalk, towards his usual subway terminal. 

As she walks, Rey seems to shed her school persona. Her shoulders pull back proudly. The April afternoon breeze brushes by her, making her tresses rise and fall ethereally. She seems so much freer than Ben has ever seen her. 

He doesn't even notice when he's walked right past his stop.

At this point, he should turn back around. Or at least make his presence a few yards back known to Rey. But something inclines him to just keep on. 

They walk out of the business class district of Manhattan and into diverse East Harlem. The notes she's left him all week make Ben assume she's heading for her apartment. 

He's a little surprised when she ducks into storefront with red neon lighting. A sandwich board outside encourages passersby to 'come on in'.

_Alright creep, this is your chance to leave._

_She didn't see you yet, so this doesn't have to be weird._

Internally, Ben debates whether he should head home or walk inside. More people of various age groups and ethnicities go into what Ben has gathered is a bar called  _Lion Lion._

After a few minutes of standing outside, garnering more unwanted attention, he bites the bullet and heads inside. 

More red lighting, this time placed at intervals along the ceiling. It takes Ben's eyes a little while to adjust to the dim lighting. 

Two bars are back to back, lined with stools. Further inside are booths lit by candlelight. Patrons in various stages of intoxication talk loudly above the nondescript music. 

It only takes Ben a moment to find Rey. She sits on a barstool facing the shelves of liquor bottles, nursing a beer.

Now that he's here, Ben draws a blank on how to proceed. He could play coy and sit down a few seats away and act surprised to see her, but the way Rey is lounging comfortably makes him think this is a regular haunt of hers. She'd know seeing him here is no coincidence.

_Just rip the bandaid off._

Opting for the direct route, Ben strides over to the bar and swiftly pulls out a stool. "I followed you here," he says bluntly, taking a seat. 

Rey spits out the liquid in her mouth, spraying the counter in front of her. Eyes wide, she turns to Ben and laughs. 

_Does she make a habit of laughing at stalkers?_

Furrowing his brow, Ben asks, "What's so funny?"

"You!"

"I'm afraid I don't understand. I just felt it best to be straightforward. I don't know what came over me."

"I know, B-" she cuts herself off. "I noticed you trailing me when I walked past the bus stop. It was actually nice to have a tall man following me, in case I needed any type of protection." Rey lifts the bottle to her lips, a laugh echoing into it.

Running a hand back through his hair, Ben almost smiles. "Are you...You're making a joke, right?"

Rey turns toward him, the brash red lighting of the room amplifying the green flecks in her hazel eyes. "Just a bit, yeah."

In this setting, it's hard to imagine Rey ever passing as seventeen. This thought only serves the purpose of making Ben feel nervous, out of his element. At school, he is used to having the upper hand.

"To be honest, I'm glad you're here. It makes me think my last note didn't entirely scare you away," she says, her gaze unrelenting.

"No," Ben shakes his head once. "I don't scare easily. Not from a kindred spirit."

Rey seems to mull this over, taking another sip of her beer. After a minute, Rey places the bottle on the table. "We already know so much about each other, but I'm just realizing we've never had a real, uninterrupted conversation."

Ben's words come to him automatically, "Rey, would you like to have a drink with me?"


	15. April 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "So, Rey Jakken, huh? That's going to take some getting used to."
> 
> Rey tucks a lock of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "Don't get comfortable saying it yet. My boss has me enrolled until after the Florida trip."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, Ben and Rey existed in a realm without teachers and students. This realm's name? ~The real world~

Rey's eyes widen at the proposition. It is both what she's been wishing for and, given their current circumstances, a very bad idea. 

Her left hand grazes the side of his arm for a brief moment and she gives him a wistful smile.  "Would I like to? Yes, truly. But I don't know if mixing alcohol and public places is a wise plan right now." She arches an eyebrow carefully.

Ben purses his lips, breaking their gaze to glance down at the leather satchel by the feet of the bar stool. The same one she brings to a _high school_ five days a week. "Right. That was foolish of me."

He starts to push back in his seat and Rey stops him, this time placing a hand firmly on his shoulder. "I still want to talk, just not here."

"Oh," he says dumbly, starting to smile.

"Let me just..." Rey bends down to retrieve her bag. Pulling it into her lap, she fishes out a $5 bill and places it underneath the nearly finished beer bottle. "There." She slips off the stool and shoulders the satchel, quirking her head towards the door, "Shall we?" 

Ben nods, at this point ready to follow her anywhere. 

They make their way out of the bar and back onto the streets, the late afternoon sunlight temporarily blinding. Rey seems used to it, walking with haste down the sidewalk. It takes Ben a moment to catch up before he is easily matching her shorter strides. 

"Where are we going?" Ben inclines his head down toward her.

Rey keeps her head forward as she responds, "My place." Her cheeks heat up under his scrutiny. "I can guarantee you no one from ElRo lives there."

Smiling to himself, Ben looks ahead once more. 

It's only a few short blocks to Rey's flat. She opens to door to the shared entrance and Ben walks in behind her. "Up here," she murmurs, heading for the staircase. 

They take the stairs two at a time, Rey leading the way until she stops in front of a door. She fishes around her bag for her keyring and produces it with a triumphant grin before inserting a silvery key into the matched lock. 

Without any fanfare, Rey turns the handle and pushes open the door. "So...this is it." She walks inside and drops her bag by the door, waving Ben on with a gesture over her shoulder. 

Rey pauses when the hallway splits into a living room and a small kitchen. "Where would you like to sit?"

"Um," he clears his throat, out of his element. 

"Kitchen table?"

"Sure."

At the end of the galley kitchen sits a small round particleboard table, painted white. Rey pulls out one of its four matched chairs and Ben does the same, taking a seat across from her.

"Hello," Rey gives a pageant wave, coaxing a smile out of Ben. 

"Hello," he repeats, now taking the time to look around the small room. "This is nice. Homey."

"Thanks, it's mostly Poe's doing. He brings the stuff home and I keep it clean."

"That sounds like a pretty good arrangement," Ben says, resting his elbows against the table. 

"Yeah," she agrees. "Oh! We need drinks!" Rey pops up and rushes over to the fridge. Over her shoulder, she calls out, "Ale or stout?"

"Stout, please."

Rey grabs two bottles of Guinness and pops the lids off. She takes a sip of hers while walking back over to the table. Extending a bottle, Rey takes her seat.

"Thank you kindly," Ben says, taking the bottle. He gulps down a good few inches of the liquid before resting it down on the table. "So, Rey Jakken, huh? That's going to take some getting used to."

Rey tucks a lock of wavy brown hair behind her ear. "Don't get comfortable saying it yet. My boss has me enrolled until after the Florida trip."

"This boss of yours, what's his angle?"

She purses her lips, searching for the most fitting words, and takes another drink. "Hux is... Great at his job. Best editor-in-chief  _The Times_ has seen this decade. He's not a great people person, though, to put it lightly."

"That must be difficult," Ben says. He's nursing the beer bottle with one hand and absentmindedly stroking his chin with the other. 

"It presents its challenges," Rey nods. "To be honest with you, Hux thinks I'm on board with his idea of a story about your family."

Ben's eyebrow twitches. "What  _are_ you writing about?"

"Currently, I'm working on a piece about the life of upper class adolescents. But it doesn't feel complete," Rey lifts the bottle to her lips and sighs. "Part of me wants to write about how much different my experience has been when everyone thinks I'm from a normal family. Having two parents and a Manhattan zipcode really seem to matter to these kids."

"I know what you mean," he frowns. "Unfortunately, I come from the negative side of your story. Kindergarten to twelfth grade in a private school turned me into quite the pompous hellion."

"I don't know if  _pompous_ is the right word," she teases.

"Pretentious?"

She hums her disapproval.

"Arrogant?"

"No..."

"Patronizing?"

"Mm, a little."

Ben's foot searches for hers underneath the table. Upon finding it, he gives her a light tap. "You're goading me."

Grinning, Rey taps his foot in return. "I'm sorry, would you believe me if I said it's a nervous habit?"

"Not really, but I'll let you have your fun," he smiles, bringing the bottle to his mouth again. "For now."

"How chivalrous of you," Rey's voice echoes with laughter. 

"Yes, well," Ben's jaw hangs open, trying and failing to come up with a retort. 

Victorious, Rey takes a long sip.

"I've been meaning to say thank you, by the way. For the books and...the rest of it." Ben's eyes meet hers and hold their gaze steadily. Even now, in privacy, his eyes convey more than he lets on.

Rey fights the urge to look away, despite the uncomfortable feeling churning inside her.

_He means the secrets._

_He means my parents._

"You're welcome," she says softly.

"And I'm sorry for practically yelling at you that day after the fair, I just..." Ben exhales loudly, blinking. "It was a lot."

"I know," Rey hesitantly reaches across the table, fingers brushing against the hand he's got wrapped around the bottle. "I'm sorry too."

Ben laughs once, the sound low, and looks down at her hand. So petite next to his own. "Every time you do that, I feel like you've stolen some part of my soul. And I am defenseless." His fingers, slick with condensation, stretch out and dust over hers. "Defenseless and desperate." He turns her hand over to trace across her palm.

Rey swallows hard, her heart hammering so loudly it feels like it's moments away from bursting out of her chest. 

_It's just a touch, calm yourself._

Try as she might, Rey is unable to convince herself that her nerve endings are not on fire. Burning from a simple caress.

"Ben, I-"

The sound of a lock turning interrupts her train of thought.

" _Rey, are you home?_ " Poe's voice reverberates down the narrow hallway.

"In the kitchen!" Bashful, Rey draws her hand back and mouths  _'Poe'_.

Poe's work boots drop to the floor with a thud. " _How was your day? Did ole' Benji like your love notes?_ "

This makes Ben grin, the toothiest smile Rey has ever seen him wear. "Love notes?" he whispers.

Rey kicks him firmly under the table. "Poe! Would you please shut up?!"

" _What, why?_ " Poe now makes an entrance, looking down as he unbuttons his work shirt. "He didn't like 'em?" He slips the shirt off, revealing a maroon t-shirt. Finally, he looks over at the kitchen table. "Oh! Hi Rey and...Benji?" Poe cocks his head to the side, looking mildly amused at this new development.

"Just Ben is fine." He slides his chair back on the linoleum and strides over to Poe, hand extended. "You must be Poe."

Rey crosses an arm below her chest and anchors the elbow of her other arm on it, resting her chin to the back of that hand. Her lips press together, suppressing a giggle. 

Poe has to tilt his head back to look at Ben. "Poe Dameron," he says, taking Ben's hand firmly.

Ben's expression is cool, unreadable, and he lets Poe shake his hand for entirely too long. Unable to hold her laughter in any longer, Rey releases it and gently chides, "Boys."

Poe lets go of Ben's hand and puts on a patented Poe Dameron grin. "I take it you're staying for dinner."

* * *

Hours later, after a dinner of take-away Thai and a few more beers, Ben declares it's time for him to head home. 

Poe protests from his spot, lounging on the floor in front of the television and using the throw pillows for cushions. "But I didn't get to show you the pictures yet!"

"What pictures?" Rey asks, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Your pictures," Poe says before looking to Ben. "Rey-bee wasn't always the gracious swan that stands before us today."

" _Oh_. I like pictures," Ben smiles pointedly at Rey, and takes a step back into the living room.

Rey scowls over at Poe and moves deftly in front of Ben. " _No pictures._ "

Dropping his head to the floor, Poe laughs with abandon, the way only an excessive amount of beer can draw out of someone.

"Rain check on the pictures, Dameron."

"Introducing you two was a misjudgement on my part," Rey mutters.

"Does it truly count as an introduction if he also lives here?" 

"Goodnight, Benji! Text me," Poe yells before falling prey to another fit of laughter.

"I don't even...have-" Ben chuckles and shakes his head. "It's late, I overstayed my welcome."

"No," Rey says firmly. "If anything, Poe overstayed  _his_ welcome in the common areas of our flat," she smiles and nods towards the hallway. "I'll walk you out?"

"I'd like that."

The television's light guides their way into the darkness of the hallway. Rey walks with a hand along the wall until her fingers find the lightswitch. She flips it on and they both instinctively shut their eyes. 

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10," Rey speaks at a whisper, opening her eyes once she's finished counting.

Ben gazes down at her, a dorky smile on his lips. 

"What?" she asks, finding herself looking up at boundless brown eyes.

"My mother used to do that. When I was little, she would tuck me in every night. After a story, she'd go to turn off the light and I'd always protest that it was  _too dark._ But she promised that if I closed my eyes while she counted to ten, the darkness wouldn't be so bad." He takes his lower lip between his teeth, eyes leaving hers to travel her face. "She was right, of course."

With bated breath, Rey realizes that this is the closest they've ever physically been. "What are you looking at?" 

"Your freckles," Ben replies, the trail his eyes leave making her skin flush. "They're beautiful."

Rey drops her chin, attempting to distract herself by looking at his feet. "Ben..."

"Too much?"

"No, never," she murmurs, inhaling deeply. Working up the courage to meet his eyes, she adds, "I just don't know how I'm going to be able to look at you appropriately on Monday if you keep saying things like that."

"Ah," he says, slowly nodding. "I'll reign it in until our next date, then."

Her brows shoot up. "This was a date?"

"What, don't all your dates start off with gangly men following you across town?" Ben teases.

"Oh, is that how you met Jyn?" she counters.

" _Ouch._ " Pressing a hand to his chest, Ben playfully stumbles towards the door. "Fine, can we compromise and call this a practice date?"

"That sounds fair."

"Alright then. To rephrase my previous statement, I'll reign it in until I can take you on a _first_ date. After that, I make no promises."

Now Rey is the one smiling, dumbfounded. 

Ben presses his thumb against his lips. "Goodnight, Rey." He reaches for the doorknob and twists it.

"Goodnight, Ben."


	16. April 16 - 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Did you finish your assignment?" Ben asks, louder than he needs to be. 
> 
> "Yes, sir."
> 
> "Good. Since you're early, you can help me pass out today's exam," he says before walking up closer. Lowering his voice, he adds, "I couldn't wait until class to see you, I've been thinking about you all weekend."

On the bus ride to school, Rey's phone nearly falls off her lap, vibrating insistently. She manages to take hold of the bag right before it falls to the ground and promptly locates her cellphone.

_Armitage "The General" Hux is Calling..._

Rey's stomach knots at the name and she forces herself to take a deep, cleansing breath before answering. "Good morning, Mr. Hux."

"Ms. Jakken, I trust you're well."

This greeting makes her take pause.

_When has he ever asked that?_

"Y-yes, sir. Thank you. And yourself?"

"Just fine," he says crisply. "Alright, enough small talk. I'm calling to check in on your story. Without that handy camera, you've left things up to my imagination. Is everything still going according to plan?"

 _According to_ your _plan? Absolutely not._

"Yes, sir. Just putting the final touches on my last draft before the class trip," Rey's voice sounds collected, believable even. 

"Excellent," Hux almost sounds pleased. "I'll hold off on congratulating you until I have the final copy in my hands."

"Of course."

"That's all I called to discuss. Thank you, Ms. Jakken."

He ends the call before she can reply.

_I don't think he's ever said 'thank you' either._

Fighting off feelings of guilt, Rey clicks the screen of her phone off and tosses it back inside her bag.

_I have nothing to be sorry for. Writing the article he wants would be a conflict of interest now._

_He'll still get a great story, just not the one he's expecting._

She presses her lips firmly together, distracting herself with thoughts of Friday evening.

Despite the mistakes she's made, Ben has shown he's willing to give her a chance. Old Rey might have scoffed at that and sided with her employer, but there's no more denying that these past three and a half months have changed her. For better or worse.

When the bus stops a block away from ElRo, Rey gets up to leave with the other students. 

_Act normal._

_No excessive smiling._

_Especially around Ben._

_And Rose. That girl is too smart for her own good._

Rey is so focused on her mental preparation that she doesn't notice Ben loitering outside of the school.

"Ms. Eliot," he says, as she nearly walks right past him. His voice is neutral, just a teacher addressing his student.

Her head turns sharply, and her eyes zero in on Ben. 

He's dressed more casually than usual, tweed jacket replaced with a navy blue cable knit sweater. The sleeves are rolled up once, revealing a black and white gingham shirt, which also peeks out at the collar. 

Rey has to mentally chide herself for just standing there ogling. "Good morning, Mr. Ren." She enunciates his name carefully. 

"Did you finish your assignment?" Ben asks, louder than he needs to be. 

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Since you're early, you can help me pass out today's exam," he says before walking up closer. Lowering his voice, he adds, "I couldn't wait until class to see you, I've been thinking about you all weekend."

A pleased smile spreads out across Rey's features as they walk together into the building. "I've been doing much of the same," she admits. 

"I don't even have your phone number," he says with a sigh.

Ben is walking half a pace ahead of her down the hallway, giving the illusion that he's exercising authority.

"What if someone got a hold of your phone?"

"I won't save you as a contact," he says, starting up the staircase.

Rey frowns at the back of his head. "Am I that temporary to you?"

Stopping right in the middle of the stairwell, Ben shifts his body halfway towards her. "No."

He meets her eyes with such intensity that Rey has no reason to do anything but nod. 

"I'll save your name as something else," he suggests. Ben runs a hand back through his hair as he thinks. "Rosalind?"

"That's...kind of perfect," she agrees, awarding him with a smile. "You can be Orlando."

Ben matches her smile and pulls his phone out of his messenger bag. "What's your number?"

She recites it to him.

They both wear contented expressions for the rest of the short walk to English 12. The first to arrive, Ben turns the handle and holds the door open for her.

"Thank you," Rey says, bowing her neck in mock curtsy before entering. 

Walking into the room, their body language changes automatically. Rey walks over to her desk and Ben to his, each without further regard for the other. It feels strange given the exchange they just had, but obviously necessary. 

Other students come in as the clock ticks down towards the first period bell. 

"Whoa," Rose announces as she enters the room. 

Both Rey and Ben turn their heads to look at the younger girl.

"This room feels..." Rose holds her index finger out in the air and looks up, trying to decide on a word. "Weird."

Rey laughs and gestures to her wrist, where a watch could have been but isn't. "Yeah, because everyone's mentally checked out. We leave on Friday!"

Bringing the finger against her lips, Rose ponders this. "Mm, I don't think that's it."

Ben shakes his head softly to himself and turns to the blackboard.

" _I_ think you're too energetic for this early in the morning, and on a Monday no less," Rey counters.

Taking her seat, Rose groans, "I woke up early with cramps from the netherworld. My current existence is heavily affected by coffee and Midol."

Comprehension brightens Rey's eyes. "That's it! Our cycles must have synced up."

" _Ohhh,_ " she begins to nod, her dubious look disappearing. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Relieved that she'd gotten out of that one easily enough, Rey's shoulders release their tension. "Do you want to skip the library and do our homework at the cafe down the street today? We can gorge ourselves on hot chocolate and pastries."

"Yes! That sounds perfect."

* * *

Rey stands in the first floor hallway at her locker when her phone vibrates. She hesitates for a few seconds, thinking maybe Hux has decided to check in again. After working up the courage to speak with her boss, Rey locates the phone inside of her bag and clicks the home button.

_(1) New Text Message from Unknown Number_

Even before selecting the message, Rey already knows who it's from. 

Bringing her bottom lip into her mouth, Rey protectively brings the phone closer to her body. She looks both ways down the hall for any sign of Rose and, not finding her, presses the messaging app. 

> **\---- Monday, April 16 ----**
> 
> **– Unknown Number | 11:23 –**
> 
> _Good day and happiness, dear Rosalind._

Rey laughs loudly, attracting the attention of two underclassmen walking by. They give her a strange look before resuming their conversation. Rey covers her mouth a moment too late, a wide smile hidden under her palm.

With one hand, she saves the number as  _Orlando_ before responding with another quote. 

> **– Rosalind | 11:24 –**
> 
> _What would you say to me now, an I were your very very Rosalind?_

Her phone immediately shows that he is typing. Seconds later, Ben's message pops up. 

> **– Orlando | 11:24 –**
> 
> _I would kiss before I spoke._

Rey reads the message over three times, her body feeling light as a feather. It takes every ounce of her self-control not to jump up and down with delight. He could have used any line in the play and  _that_ is what he chose.

_I feel like an actual teenager._

_I've...never felt like this before._

The warning bell sounds, alerting Rey to the start of sixth period. She shuts her locker and sends out her response.

> **– Rosalind | 11:27 –**
> 
> _Put your money where your mouth is, Orlando._

* * *

The next few days seem to inch by. Rose and Rey spend every afternoon together planning out what they'll do at Disney and how they can fit all the clothes they'll need into carry-on luggage. Ben texts Rey after class each day, and she forces herself to take her time responding.

Hux doesn't call again, but Finn does. Rey is halfway through her packing checklist when her phone lights up with his name. She drops the camisole onto her bed and pauses Spotify to answer the call. "Hey, stranger."

"Hey Peanut. It's good to hear your voice."

"You too. It's been what? Two weeks?"

"Something like that."

"How've you been?" Rey asks, starting to pace around the room.

"Really good. That's actually why I'm calling. Or, part of the reason. I also called to say I'm sorry for being such a crappy friend these past few months."

Rey nods to herself but tries to keep her voice cool. "How do you mean?"

"I was really hard on you about work, and kind of a dick to that teacher-"

"Ben, his name is Ben," she interjects.

Finn's deep chuckle fills her ear. "Yeah, I was a dick to  _Ben_ when I went to the school for you. Honestly, I was feeling kind of jealous."

That much had been obvious to Rey the moment Finn had called himself her boyfriend. "Why were you jealous?"

"I don't know...For a while there I was the only guy in your life other than Poe. And he's your brother, so he was never going to be vying for your affections. I never was either, but something...changed for me, right after you took this assignment. Not seeing you around the office every day made me miss you. Then we're out for drinks one night and  _Ben_ comes along and it's so obvious that you're into him...Something inside me just snapped," Finn breathes out deeply into the phone. "It made me think _I_ was into you."

Rey chews on her lower lip while he speaks.

"I should have just talked to you, but I bottled it up and pushed you away as a result. That was really stupid of me, and I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's alright, Finn. I should have been up front with you, too. I've known that I have feelings for Ben for a while now, but I was in denial until recently."

"We kind of suck at talking about our feelings."

"Truer words never have been spoken," she agrees with a soft laugh. "I'm sorry too."

"Apology accepted. Can we go back to being best friends again? I need my Peanut."

"Yes, please! Now tell me why you're doing so well!"

"Okay. Don't freak out, but I met someone."

"Katherine?"

"H-how'd you know?"

Rey nearly snorts. " _I plead the Fifth._ The last thing you texted me two weeks ago. Ring any bells?"

"Oh."

" _Oh_ is right! So when did that start?"

"It all sort of just happened. You weren't at the office to talk to and Hux always deferred the background work to Katherine. We started monitoring your feeds together, until Hux took over. I didn't have the slightest notion that she was into me until about a month ago, the week after you were sick. By this point, the whole office was watching the footage once Hux was done with it. So we were watching Ben apologize to you in the hallway about how unprofessional your relationship had been and Katherine just turns to me and gushes ' _Isn't it so romantic?_ '. And I muttered something grouchy that I don't care to repeat."

Laughing softly, Rey urges, "Go on!"

"For some reason that I still can't fathom, she took pity on me. Katherine said she could tell I needed a drink and someone to talk to, and asked me out that same night."

"This is amazing, _Katherine P_ _hasma_ asked  _you_ out?"

"I know, I'm slow on the uptake."

Smiling into the phone, Rey asks, "So you really like her?"

"Yeah, Rey. I truly do."

"Well, not that you need it, but you guys have my blessing."

"Maybe after you get back next week we can all hang out together?"

"Sure..." Only now does Rey realize she's failed to keep her friend in the loop with something major. "There's something I actually need to tell you too."

"Hmm?"

"Like I said, I have real feelings for Ben and-"

"You're not writing the story that Hux wants," Finn supplies.

"Yeah. I know this is a huge letdown for you, but I promise I'll make sure Hux knows this is one hundred percent on me. I just can't betray Ben and his family."

"I don't blame you, Peanut. Like I've said before, a huge part of journalism is trusting your instincts. But what  _are_ you going to write?"

"I'm going to write about me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all your encouraging comments! I love each and every one of you beautiful peeps!
> 
> Next chapter they're all headed to Florida~


	17. April 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gives his thigh a firm squeeze. "Did she ever remarry?"
> 
> "No. Falling in love with my father was never part of her plan. She was married to her job before she met him and buried herself in work after...the accident."
> 
> "You were just a kid, Ben," Rey says softly.

Most of the students and chaperones on _American Airlines_ flight 2691 fall asleep shortly after boarding.

ElRo had arranged shuttles from the school to the airport, just a short twenty minute ride into Queens. Their flight departed LaGuardia Airport at 6:10 in the morning, meaning they'd all woken up in the middle of the night.

Rey, Rose and Lindsey sit together in a row of three towards the back of the plane. The two teenage girls are among the passengers that chose to extend their slumber. Rey, on the other hand, is wide awake.

It's only a third of the way into the three hour flight and Rey can't stop fidgeting in her seat. The small foil packet of peanuts and ginger ale she received after the airplane reached altitude have already been finished. Rey brought a book along in hopes of catching up on her reading, but she's read the same paragraph six times now and still can't remember what it says.

Leaning against her armrest, Rey looks down the aisle in both directions. Familiar faces of her classmates mix in with those of family members and the occasional people that just so happen to be on the same flight. The one face she wishes to see the most is nowhere to be found. 

Ben had waved to her earlier from the window of a shuttle, but that one had been full so Rey couldn't join him or even say hello. The airport security line moved extra slowly that morning and, choosing to air on the side of caution, Rey was among the last people to go through it. She couldn't risk someone seeing the birthday on her driver's license. Once they made it to their gate, Rey went to get coffee, resulting in her and Rose being among the last passengers to board the plane. Wherever Ben found a seat has been deemed a mystery to Rey.

A sudden jolt makes Rey gasp and face forward in her seat again. 

_It's just a little turbulence. A little rough patch of air._

She closes her eyes and tries to focus on her breathing.

_Inhale deeply and hold. Count to seven. Slowly breath out._

_Repeat._

The plane bumps every couple of minutes, keeping Rey firmly planted in her seat. She tightly grasps both armrests and risks opening her eyes to look at the girls next to her.

Still asleep.

After a few more minutes, the plane seems to find clear air. Rey stares at the illuminated seatbelt sign until it blinks off. 

She unfastens the buckle and stands up quickly, only to find her legs wobbly. Gripping the seat in front of her, Rey turns her head towards the back of the plane. The lavatory door has a red button on it, indicating that it's occupied. 

Lacking the patience to wait, Rey carefully walks along the aisle until she reaches the end of the cabin. Abruptly, the plane drops. The descension is short, something that a seasoned flyer wouldn't bat an eye at. But this is Rey's first time on an airplane.

Rey reaches out wildly to brace herself against the small expanse of wall, fingers grasping for purchase.  A ragged breath escapes her along with a single tear.

_Pull yourself together._

_The plane isn't going to crash._

Carefully, she slides down the wall and sits on the floor outside of the bathroom. A man slides the door open and looks taken aback when he notices her on the ground. With a slight scowl, he walks around her and back towards his seat.

Drawing her knees to her chest, Rey wraps her arms around herself and closes her eyes.

_Don't think about them._

_Do not go down that path._

Rey rocks her body gently, tiny whimpers escaping her.

"Rey?" 

_Ben._

Lifting her head, Rey takes in the sight of him and a new set of tears well up in her eyes.

"B-Ben," her voice comes out small and unsteady. 

"Oh, sweetheart," Ben murmurs, crouching down in front of her.

He runs a hand lightly across Rey's hair and onto her shoulder. "I looked for you when they started boarding." Ben's thumb absentmindedly kneads into her clavicle. "I knew I couldn't sit next to you but I hoped to at least be close by."

Wiping at her cheeks, Rey peers at his hand. "I'm so embarrassed that you f-found me like this."

"Is this your first flight?" Ben's hand moves down her shoulder and he begins to slowly stroke her arm.

"Mhm," she hums, fixated on how large his hand is in comparison to her body.

"Kriff," he curses softly. Ben lifts her chin with his free hand. "I should have been there for you. It hurts me to think of what's going through your head right now, but I  _promise you_ that we're going to be okay."

Staring up into his eyes, Rey nods once. "The logical part of me knows that, I just..." She sighs.

Ben presses his lips together and mirrors her nod. On his knees, he moves next to her and sits down. The quiet of the airplane and Rey's emotional status leave Ben no room to hesitate before wrapping an arm around her.

If she weren't so upset, Rey may have balked at this first small act of intimacy. Instead, she drops her head against his shoulder gratefully.

"I'm so sorry, Rey," he whispers, lips pressed against her hair. "I wish I could take your pain away, replace all that hurt with the happiness you deserve."

Her eyes flutter shut. "Do the memories ever come haunt you too?" Rey unwraps her arms from her knees and hesitantly reaches out for Ben's leg, settling a hand just above his knee. She can feel the muscles in his thigh tense up at the initial contact but relax against her touch. 

"Every time I get behind the wheel of a car. Which fortunately isn't that often, since I live in the city," Ben laughs once, self-deprecating. "When I make a yearly visit upstate to see my mother it's honestly worse. I'm a terrible son, but keeping her at arm's length makes it easier to keep the demons at bay." 

Rey gives his thigh a firm squeeze. "Did she ever remarry?"

"No. Falling in love with my father was never part of her plan. She was married to her job before she met him and buried herself in work after...the accident."

"You were just a kid, Ben," Rey says softly.

She can feel him shaking his head and his body goes stiff.

"We don't have to talk about this anymore. I'm just glad you're here." 

He places a kiss gently atop her head. "Me too." 

* * *

Once the passengers started to wake up and move around, Rey and Ben went back to their respective seats. The majority of the rest of the flight is spent sharing Rose's earbuds, listening to her acoustic folk playlist. 

A pleasant chime sounds and an announcement comes through the speakers:

 _"Good morning folks, we have just been cleared to land at the_  Orlando International Airport. _As_ _we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you.”_

Squirming in the middle seat, Rose repeatedly taps both armrests and makes an excited humming noise. "You  _guys!_ We're almost there!"

Lindsey opens the window cover halfway, morning light shining across their row. "Finally, some real sunshine! I hope it's warm when we get there."

"Same here. I only brought one pair of jeans and I'm wearing them," Rey says, gesturing to her lap.

"I'm sure no one would let you go cold," Rose says in an undertone, looking down her nose at Rey.

"We should buy matching pink Minnie Mouse hoodies to watch the fireworks show in. We'll be the new Pink Ladies." Lindsey suggests.

"What a good idea," Rey agrees. She covertly sticks the tip of her tongue out at Rose.

"Don't forget Jane! She's our fourth roomie...wherever she is." Rose leans over the armrest between her and Rey, attempting to see down the aisle. 

Rey sits back in her seat, trying to make herself as small as possible so that Rose can look. "She was ahead of me in line for Starbucks, so she probably got a good seat up front."

"Oh," Rose breathes, moving back into her own space.

Out the window, tiny buildings come into view as the plane angles forward, descending toward its destination.

Rey stares through the window, both mesmorized and temporarily paralyzed by the view.

"My least favorite part is coming up," Rose murmurs, also captivated.

"What's that?" 

"The landing."

"What's wrong with the landing?" Rey asks, tearing her eyes away from the small panel to look at her friend.

"I hate the way the plane bumps when the wheels hit the ground."

"Great," she says with a groan. 

She looks back to the window, cars below them getting more life-like in size. A mechanical groaning sounds, the wheels of the plane being freed from their chamber. The plane continues on its downward path and just as it looks like they're going to land on top of the airport, they fly over it and land on the tarmac with a heavy  _thud_.

Rey breathes out loudly with relief. "I hate flying. Can we drive home?"

Rose laughs and just shakes her head. 

As the airplane speeds down the concrete the speakers sound with the voice of one of the flight attendants. 

 _"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to_  Orlando International Airport. _Local time is 9:03am and the temperature is 78 degrees. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seatbelt fastened until the Captain turns off the fasten seatbelt sign. On behalf of_ American Airlines _and the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice day!"_

Despite the direction they've just been given, the sound of seatbelts clicking open fills the cabin. The plane has slowed substantially and through the small window, Rey can see the terminal a short distance away. She unfastens her own seatbelt and leans down to reach under the seat for her satchel. 

Textbooks and laptop have been replaced with sunglasses, portable phone charger and other personal items. Rey shuffles things around until she locates the MagicBand the school had issued to everyone on the trip. It's a thick wristband that acts as the key to their hotel room, entry to theme parks and even a way to pay for food on Disney property. Rey put personal preference aside at the pleading of her roommates, who insist the theme of the trip be all things Minnie Mouse. The one they chose is pink and covered in tiny hearts and the aforementioned mouse. She slips it over her wrist and snaps it snuggly in place. 

Rose holds out her left arm and Lindsey is soon to follow. They must have put their MagicBands on sometime during the flight

"They look so cute!" Lindsey decides.

"I'm so excited! Can we get a picture with Peter Pan?" Rose asks. "I hope they have a cute, funny one like Disneyland had."

* * *

In the passenger pick-up area two large white buses with  _Disney Transport_ printed on the side in familiar writing await them.

Rey hands her small wheeled suitcase to a woman who offers to stow it underneath one of the buses. She looks out at the crowd of people and easily locations Ben, towering over most of them. It only takes a moment for him to sense her gaze and turn his head with a smile. Rey feels her skin warming from both the Florida heat and his attention.

"Did you have a nice flight, Mr. Ren?" she asks over the noise of so many competing voices. 

"I usually dislike flying, but this one wasn't so bad," his voice carries.

Rey matches his smile with one of her own and waves her fingers at him before stepping onto the bus. 

It's a relatively short drive to _Disney's Pop Century Resort_ , one of the lower priced properties. The rooms the school booked are in the 1980's section of the resort. A 40 foot Rubik's Cube is erected like a monument on one side of their building, with Roger Rabbit on the other. Across the courtyard a giant Sony Walkman and accompanying headphone set anchors another building. In the middle of the courtyard is a computer-shaped pool, complete with a spongy keyboard that offers guests an alphabet-filled pool deck area.

Rey's room with the girls is on the third floor. They walk inside and immediately start to claim which side of each of the queen beds is their own, who gets to take the first shower, and how much dresser space each girl will be allotted. 

Lingering near the doorway seems like the safest course of action until the commotion dies down. Rey slips off her shoes and is setting her bag down on top of her suitcase when it starts to vibrate. 

She pulls her cellphone out and opens the door, stepping into the open-air hallway with socked feet. Rey clicks the screen on and types in her passcode while shutting the door. 

_(1) New Text Message from Orlando_

> **\---- Friday, April 20 ----**
> 
> **– Orlando | 9:57 –**
> 
> _Do you want to watch the fireworks tonight?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mostly plotted the rest of the story out and I'm thinking this will only be 22 or 23 chapters. Just so you all have a head's up!


	18. April 20, part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Can you guys keep a secret?" Rose asks, waving the girls toward her conspiratorily.
> 
> "Who would I even spill a secret to?" Jane deadpans, staying seated.
> 
> Lindsey emerges from the bathroom, blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail, with little pieces pulled out and curled into ringlets. "What are guys gossiping about?"
> 
> "Whatever, don't circle around me so I can whisper. Take all my fun away." Rose breathes out a little sigh and shakes her head. "Okay so, you can't let on that you know this at all, but Paige has the hots for Mr. Ren. If you mention this to her she would flat out deny it, but it's the truth."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies to any of you that got an email Sunday saying that chapter 18 was up! I was planning things out on mobile, and it must have accidentally posted with just a vague summary. I'll try to make sure that doesn't happen again! xx

After giving everyone an hour to settle into their rooms, group texts alert them that the bus to _Magic Kingdom_ will be arriving at 11am.

Rey changes out of her jeans into more weather appropriate shorts, bleached denim with tiny while polka dots. She keeps on the heather grey t-shirt she'd chosen for the flight, and wears her shoulder length hair loose for the time being.

In favor of traveling light, she places her sunglasses atop her head, wraps an elastic hair tie around her wrist, and pockets a small wad of cash.

"You guys about ready to head down?" Rey asks, perched on the edge of the bed she'll be sharing with Rose.

Jane is sitting at the small desk next to the television, between the two queen beds. She looks up from her phone and smiles, "I just got us FastPasses for Space Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, and the Magic Tea Party. So yes, I've been ready."

From the bathroom where the other two are curling their hair, Lindsey calls out, "How the heck did you do that?"

"Our whole class trip is linked on the app. I can see what everyone else picked too."

Curious, Rey stands up and walks over to the desk. "Can I see that?"

"Sure," Jane says, handing over her phone.

Rey scrolls through the list of names and the character avatars her classmates and their chaperones had picked. "Aww, Rose! Paige's avatar is Marie from Aristocats."

"She's such a dork!" Rose says with a laugh, walking out of the bathroom. Her glossy black hair is curled in loose waves around her face and cascading onto her shoulders. 

Looking up at the sound of her voice, an awed expression comes over Rey. "You look like a princess."

Rose beams, her cheeks coloring at the compliment. "Thanks," she says meekly. "We have to add Paige to those reservations, Jane. She's already mad at me for talking her into coming and then deserting her to room with Ms. Tano."

Rey scrolls quickly, looking in earnest for Ben's name. She forgets to be looking for his chosen name and almost passes over  _Kylo Ren._ He hasn't selected an avatar and no FassPass+ entries show up next to his name. Holding back a frown, she hands the phone back to Jane.

"One sec," Jane says to Rose. Her fingers dance over the screen and a few seconds later she looks up with a grin. "Done. Anyone else?"

"Can you guys keep a secret?" Rose asks, waving the girls toward her conspiratorily.

"Who would I even spill a secret to?" Jane deadpans, staying seated.

Lindsey emerges from the bathroom, blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail, with little pieces pulled out and curled into ringlets. "What are guys gossiping about?"

"Whatever, don't circle around me so I can whisper. Take all my fun away." Rose breathes out a little sigh and shakes her head. "Okay so, you can't let on that you know this  _at all,_ but Paige has the hots for Mr. Ren. If you mention this to her she would flat out deny it, but it's the truth."

Rey's eyes narrow at Rose, but Rose doesn't acknowledge this.

"Having two chaperones to our group of four wouldn't raise any red flags," Jane says, already locating Mr. Ren and adding him to their plans. "Paige owes me, big time."

Grinning, Rose's eyes briefly meet Rey's. "Oh, I'm sure she'll be grateful."

* * *

Despite it being a Friday in April, a school day no less, _Magic Kingdom_ is buzzing with people. 

Emerging from the tunnel under the railroad, the New York tourists step out onto Main Street, U.S.A. Twentieth century style buildings in pleasing pastels greet them, while in-character cast members work kiosks selling souvenirs. It looks like a small town, circled around a flag pole where Pluto is currently doing a meet-and-greet. Past that the buildings line either side of the street leading up to Cinderella's Castle in the distance.

"Oh my gosh, look!" Rose squeals, pointing to four men dressed in straw hats, striped vests, bow-ties, spats and taps of varying vivid colors. "It's The Dapper Dans!" She waves them on and speed-walks toward a building on the left hand side, called The Emporium _._

Rey, Lindsey, Jane and Paige all follow. They join in a small crowd as the four men pick up organ chimes and start to play  _Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah._ Halfway through, they start to sing in harmony. Rose is grinning and dancing along, and when they fade into  _It's A Small World_ , she lightly taps the arms of Paige and Rey. "C'mon, they said to whistle," she whispers loudly. All four girls oblige, though to call it whistling would be a kindness in some of their cases.

The Dapper Dans end the set list with  _The Mickey Mouse Club March_ and they all chant along, "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!" 

Applause erupts when the men walk off, Rose by far the loudest. She turns to her friends with an elated smile, "That was so fun, I feel like I'm six years old!"

"You're embarrassing like a six year old," Lindsey mutters. 

Paige shoots the younger girl a scowl before addressing the group, "Alright ladies, when's our first FastPass?"

Jane pulls her phone out from her back pocket and clicks on the app. "The Magic Tea Party at noon. We've got about twenty minutes to kill."

"I haven't eaten anything today except peanuts on the plane," Lindsey says, rubbing her stomach. "And that was five hours ago."

"There's only one real quick-service restaurant in this part of _Magic Kingdom_. Unless you want ice cream or baked goods," Jane supplies.

"Rain check on the ice cream!" Rey quips.

"I second that notion," Lindsey agrees. "What's the quick-service place?"

"Casey's Corner," Jane says. "It's hot dogs and all the fixings."

"Mama never buys hot dogs, that actually sounds really good," Rose nods eagerly. 

"Hot dogs it is. Lead the way, Jane."

While the five girls walk down Main Street, Rey hangs towards the back of the group. She produces her cellphone from her shorts' pocket and composes a quick text message to Ben.

> **\---- Friday, April 20 ----**
> 
> **– Rosalind | 11:42 –**
> 
> _Casey's Corner for lunch?_

She hasn't seen him since the buses let out, so Rey can only assume he's mixed in with another group for the time being. Clicking the screen off, Rey looks back up, taking in the picturesque surroundings. They walk past a sweets shop, an art gallery, a jewelry store and multiple apparel shops. Each one giving the illusion that they've stepped back in time. 

A woman with a large bundle of balloons walks by. She's offering everything from foiled character face balloons to colorful mouse silhouetted ones. 

"Ooooh, guys!"

"Later, Rose," Paige chides gently.

Rose pushes her lower lip out sadly and nods.

Casey's Corner is the last building on the left-hand side of Main Street, U.S.A. It's painted yellow and white and embellished with a large  _C_ similar to the Cincinnati Reds logo. Paige holds the door open so the girls can file inside. 

The smell of fresh french fries mingles in with the red and white pinstriped walls and Coca Cola chandeliers, giving off a very distinctive 1950's vibe. Joining the queue, Rey looks up at the menu board and reads her options. "Teriyaki hot dog? That sounds...Weird."

Someone a few people ahead of her in line turns his head around. "Don't knock it 'til you try it."

Rey lets out a soft laugh and gives the man half a smile. "I'll take your word for it." 

He shoots her a quick thumbs up before returning to his prior conversation.

A string of vibrations in Rey's back pocket alerts her to new messages. Her smile turns into a real one as she covertly brings the phone out and holds it just below her chest, angled so only she can see the screen. 

> **– Orlando | 11:45 –**
> 
> _Already beat you to it!_
> 
> _These boys can eat._
> 
> _Hot dogs are not very romantic first date food._

Rey's mouth opens when she reads the last message. Walking forward to keep the line moving, she quickly types out a response.

> **– Rosalind | 11:46 –**
> 
> _This is NOT a first date either._
> 
> _Where ever did your patience go, Ben Solo?_

Three flashing dots let her know he is actively replying. Chewing on her bottom lip, Rey stands up tip-toed to try and peer into the adjoining dining room for a glimpse of him. Her phone buzzes and she nearly lets it slip from her hands.

> **– Orlando | 11:46 –**
> 
> _I've been very patient._
> 
> _Some might say too patient._

She has time to type one last message, only one customer ahead of her now.

> **– Rosalind | 11:48 –**
> 
> _Your reward will outweigh the effort, I promise you._

Rey slides the phone back into her pocket for safe-keeping and steps up to the register where she is greeted by a smiling man wearing an umpire's uniform. His name-tag identifies him as Will from Des Moines. "Hello there! Welcome to Casey's Corner! Thank you for your patience," another happiest-place-on-earth smile, "Do you know what you'd like to order?"

"Yes, erm, Will," she starts, glancing down at his name-tag again. "I think I'll have the corn dog nuggets meal with a Coke. Are the nuggets any good?"

"Oh yes!" Will agrees, already punching in her order. "Would you like to add a side of cheese sauce?"

"No, thank you." Rey scans her MagicBand and steps aside so the next customer can order.

Once all five of them have been given their meals on red plastic trays, Jane leads them outside to the terrace.

"Guys! Over here!" Hallie calls from her table a few meters away. She's already sitting with Krista and Shawn, filling all but one seat of their small circular table.

Rey spots Ben sitting with Dylan, Joe and another adult she doesn't recognize. She smiles without meaning to and Dylan seems to take this personally.

"Hey, Rey. I didn't know you liked beef." He wiggles his eyebrows, ensuring she doesn't miss the message. 

Unable to help herself, Rey rolls her eyes and walks right past his table. 

Shawn stands up and starts pulling tables together for the girls. They put their trays down and grab chairs to carry over. 

"Great minds think alike," Krista says, gesturing with her hot dog.

"Woman cannot live on airline snacks alone," Jane agrees.

Rey and her roommates plus Paige take their seats. Plans for the day and the weekend are discussed over a greasy and satisfying lunch.

As they are finishing up, Ben approaches the table with his left hand buried in the front pocket of his shorts. They're a navy color so dark it's almost black. Along with the yellow snapback and white t-shirt, this is the most casual Rey has ever seen him dress.

He gives a half wave to the table with his right hand. "Good afternoon, everyone."

Jane turns her head halfway, looks back at her tray, and then does a double take. "Mr. Ren? I didn't know you  _owned_ a pair of shorts..."

Ben's brow furrows slightly and he breathes out with a laugh. "Well, looks can be deceiving, Jane."

Half of the girls ogle him wordlessly. Seconds go by and the tips of his ears peeking through his hair turn pink. Finally he clears his throat, "So, I'm told that I was added as a chaperone to your plans today."

Rose, part of the non-ogling half, speaks up, "Yes! We were told one adult to every two students, and you were the last one available."

Jane opens her mouth in protest only to be kicked under the table. Her and Rose share a meaningful look that ends in Rose dragging her eyes over to Paige. "Oh!" Jane whispers, and then raises her voice to address the table. "That's right, Mr. Ren. I hope you're up for the teacups!"

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," he chuckles. "Lead the way, girls."

* * *

Sometimes, things work in Rey's favor so that she can sit near Ben, and other times they do not.

For the Magic Tea Party they ride with Paige in a big purple teacup and Ben spins the center disk until they nearly puke. He's far away from Rey on the Jungle Cruise and on an entirely different spaceship for Space Mountain. But she doesn't let it keep her from having fun. On the contrary, Rey starts thinking of this trip as her last hoorah with Rose and gang, so she wants to make every moment count.

Inside Mickey's Star Traders, Rey pulls Rose over to a wall of mouse ear hats. "Let's get something matching."

"Yes!" Rose agrees excitedly.

The pair start to model different hats, everything from classic Mickey, _Epcot_ 's Figment, and even characters from Cars. Seeing the mini fashion show, the other girls soon join in. 

Rey keeps coming back to the golden mouse ears with a rose in the middle, designed to look like Belle's dress from the ballroom scene. "What do you think about these?" 

"I think they look perfect on you," Rose says, looking at Rey's reflection in the mirror. "How about we each pick a different princess?"

"Yeah!" 

Rose chooses a turquoise and green Ariel hat, Paige a red and blue Snow White hat, Lindsey a pink and light blue Aurora hat and Jane picks a purple and pink Rapunzel hat.

After purchasing their items, the girls wear them out of the store. "Mr. Ren, can you please take our picture?" Rose asks, leading the group in front of the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway.

"Of course."

Handing over her phone, Rose puts herself in the middle of the group next to Rey. "Smile and say  _Disney!_ " she instructs.

"One, two, three," Ben counts down, snapping candid shots in the meantime. "Disney."

"Disney!" Five voices echo before striking a final pose.

Chuckling to himself, Ben nods. "Alright, perfect." He steps forward to hand the phone to Rose and to his surprise, she pulls him forward.

"We need one with you in it," Rose insists. She smiles sweetly, the picture of innocence.

"I don't really do photographs," Ben says carefully.

"Well this isn't a  _photograph_ , it's for my Instagram story." Rose continues to smile, unwavering.

With a small sigh, Ben hands her the phone and moves to take Rose's place. "Just one picture, Ms. Tico."

"Yes, sir!" she says with a grin, motioning for the girls to squeeze in closer to their teacher.

Rey's lips curve upwards as Ben moves between her and Jane, his hip bone brushing against hers.

"Say  _Disney_ ," Rose orders.

* * *

The rest of the day is spent alternating between eating and waiting in line for rides. Mostly they agreed on what to do, but Jane did convince them to give The Carousel of Progress a chance. She and Ben are the only ones who seemed to really enjoy it. 

They do cross paths with other ElRo students throughout the day, but ultimately stay a group of six.

As it gets darker, Rey and Ben become more comfortable walking together and making conversation. They stay within earshot of everyone else, so the talks are about light topics like favorite movies and authors.

Around 8:45, the group squeezes into the Hub in front of Cinderella's Castle. The area is already packed with people, some of whom have held their spots for the better part of an hour. 

"We should have planned this out better," Paige says, taking a seat on the ground in the middle of the five others. 

"I hate to say I told you so, but..." Jane grumbles.

"It's fine. We have a good view of the castle and the sky, being front and center won't make the experience that much better," Ben says calmly. "In fact, why don't I grab some Mickey bars for everyone to make the time go by?" 

A chorus of yeses reply ardently. 

"Alright, six Mickey bars, coming up," Ben turns to start excusing himself through the crowd.

"Wait," Paige says, fingers moving rapidly over her phone as she composes a text. "Take one of the girls, you don't have six hands."

Cautiously, Ben says, "Rey?"

"Yeah, great." Paige is already elsewhere mentally, texting Poe of the day's events. 

Ben leads the way through the sea of people, trying not to step on any toes or unintentionally shoulder anyone. When they step out onto the clear sidewalk, both of them exhale in unison, relieved. 

Laughing softly, Rey asks, "Was this all part of your plan to get me alone?"

"Perhaps," Ben says, his lips betraying just a hint of a smile. 

Humming in response, Rey pulls her hair up into a bun and secures it with the band around her wrist. 

There are snack and souvenir carts lining the pathway and Ben points to one advertising frozen desserts. 

Joining the short line of people, Rey brushes her shoulder against his. "I think it's safe to say you had your derriere handed to you at Space Rangers."

Ben's jaw twitches. "My laser was malfunctioning."

"Uh-huh," Rey purses her lips. "I'm a better shot and you know it."

"Blasphemy."

"Lies will get you nowhere, Benjamin," she turns her head towards him. "That is your given name, right?"

"Actually, it's just Ben. Which is why having Poe call me Benji is particularly amusing."

"Well I like Ben. It's been a struggle not to slip up and call you that."

He turns and smiles at her audaciously. "A lot of things have presented a special challenge to avoid today." 

The customer in front of them pays, and Ben steps up and places his order. 

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid I only have one left. Someone is bringing more now, but it'll be a few minutes," the woman behind the cart informs him.

Checking his watch for the time, Ben looks to Rey. "The show's about to start, what do you think?"

"Just get the one, I suppose. The girls can wait until after."

Ben agrees and pays the woman, who then hands him a chocolate ice cream bar in the shape of Mickey Mouse. After thanking her, the pair approaches the edge of the crowd.

He holds the bar out to Rey. "First bite?"

"Thank you." With a bashful smile, Rey takes the popsicle stick and takes a small bite off one ear, Ben watching her intently the whole time. She licks some residual chocolate off her lower lip and hands it back to him.

"You're going to absolutely  _end_ me this weekend if you keep doing that," he says, his voice strained. 

"Doing what?"

Ben's eyes flit towards the castle, the colors starting to change. "Everything."

 _"And they all lived happily ever after_ _."_

A booming voice fills the speakers around them, the show already starting. People stand closely together, blocking latecomers from weaseling their way in. More bodies begin to fill in behind Ben and Rey. 

"Guess we're stuck here," Rey notes, eyes drawn forward. 

Sidestepping closer to her, Ben says, "I'm not complaining."

A song begins once the narrator finishes his first speech. For the next seventeen minutes, Ben and Rey's attention is held by the beautiful display of fireworks, lights, and projections onto the castle.

Faces of familiar characters are imprinted onto the castle like stained glass as the narrator declares,  _"And so our journey comes to an end. But yours continues on. Grab hold of your dreams and make them come true."_

Ben reaches out and brushes the back of his hand against Rey's. Unbeknownst to the other, each of them has tears in their eyes from the moving display.

_"For you are the key to unlocking your own magic."_

Rey takes hold of his hand and squeezes it tightly, as if her life depends upon this one small touch. 

 _"N_ _o_ _w go, let your dreams guide you. Reach_ _out and find your happily ever after."_

Ben grips her hand with equal intensity and leans down, his breath hot against her skin. Shivers spark through her body as Ben presses his lips against her ear. "I'm never letting go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really trying _not_ to just write more of Friday, but the details got the best of me. I may condense some of the next few days/theme parks. 
> 
> For any of you who have twenty minutes to kill and feel like possibly crying, [here ](https://youtu.be/nuG9WggL5t0) is the fireworks show they watched.
> 
> Thank you all for your comments and kudos! <3


	19. April 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you guys remember that one time last semester? Mr. Ren told the class he'd bought an actual movie prop of Darth Binks' helmet," Rose says with a laugh. "He was so excited, it was kind of weird to see him like that."
> 
> "Oh, I remember that! Dylan asked him to bring it in and suddenly Mr. Ren got all protective of the stupid thing and changed the subject," Lindsey shakes her head. "Boys and men, I see no difference."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of this being an AU, the plot of Star Wars in this fic is drastically different from real life. But Ben still loves Darth ~~Vader~~ Binks.
> 
> Trigger Warning: sexual harassment.

"Everything is under construction," Rose says dismally, as they walk through _Disney's Hollywood Studios_ on Saturday morning. 

It's a balmy 81 degrees, April offering the best of Florida weather. They've only been in the park for a short while, wandering through a few gift shops along Hollywood Boulevard. Their attention soon is directed to the large replica Grauman's Chinese Theater at the end of the way.

"This used to be The Great Movie Ride," Jane informs everyone while they walk towards it, "It was actually going to be the main attraction in a show business themed pavilion at Epcot called "Great Moments at the Movies". But, the CEO back then decided the idea was strong enough to lead an entire new theme park. The idea for the ride was expanded and Disney-MGM Studios opened May 1, 1989. Now, they're going to put a silly mouse ride in there. Creativity is dead."

"That's so morbid," Lindsey scolds, hitting Jane's shoulder lightly with her map.

"I think it's cool.  _The more you know,_ and all," Rey says, giving the girl a smile.

"Thank you,  _Rey._ "

"Anytime, Jane."

"Guys, we should go to the Frozen sing-along," Rose suggests, pointing to the big screen on the Hyperion Theater advertising it across the walkway.

Rocking back onto his heels, Ben gestures to the watch on his left wrist. "That sounds like my cue to leave."

"You don't like musicals, Mr. Ren?" Lindsey asks, smirking.

"Not that one, no," he chuckles to himself. "Some of the other students said they would be watching the Jedi Training trials, I'll just catch up with you lot afterwards." Ben raises a hand to wave, taking a step away from them.

Rey nods in agreement, although he is addressing the entire group of them. "Say hello to Darth Binks for me."

"Can do," he agrees and turns to walk down the pathway leading to Commissary Lane.

The girls join in the line outside for the Frozen show behind several of their classmates and costumed children. 

"Who would like Darth Binks? He's the villain," Paige finally joins in the conversation, leaning back gently against the building's wall.

"He's got a pretty interesting back story," Jane shrugs. "Though most people do relate more to Owen Lars, as he's the hero."

"Do you guys remember that one time last semester? Mr. Ren told the class he'd bought an actual movie prop of Darth Binks' helmet," Rose says with a laugh. "He was so excited, it was kind of weird to see him like that."

"Oh, I remember that! Dylan asked him to bring it in and suddenly Mr. Ren got all protective of the stupid thing and changed the subject," Lindsey shakes her head. "Boys and men, I see no difference."

People in front of them start to shuffle forward, the doors to the building having been opened. The score to Frozen begins to play loudly from somewhere inside. Children bounce up and down while they walk, eager to see their favorite characters. Coming in behind the four girls, Paige speaks louder than usual, "Sometimes guys will surprise you, Lindsey. A little youthful vigor is a good thing."

"That's easy for you to say, your dating pool is a lot bigger than ours is."

"You graduate next month! The world will be your oyster."

Rose wriggles her nose, falling in step with her sister. "If you don't stop talking like Mama, I'm going to die of embarrassment." 

"You're lucky I'm here with you  _instead_ of Mama."

Pursing her lips like she's just sucked a lemon, Rose nods silently, eyes to the ground.

Pleased, Paige crosses her arms below her check. "That's what I thought."

A large room opens up before them with a stage as its focal point. Shades of blue, pink and purple light up the curtain lined with faux icicles, while images of snowflakes dance around the room. On either side of the stage, props are set up to look like evergreen trees covered in snow. There are also large monitors set up to display lyrics once the show begins. 

They file into the next available row and take their seats on the right side of the stage. While they wait for the show to begin, FastPasses are acquired for this park and a few things in Epcot later, thanks to Jane.

After a few minutes the curtains part, revealing the castle on a huge screen. _"Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! All people of the kingdom of Hollywood Land, please welcome her majesty, the Queen of Arendelle!"_ a man's voice fills the speakers.

"I thought the parents died in the-" Lindsey starts, barely whispering.

" _Shhh!_ " the other four girls silence her.

Princess Anna comes running out, stumbling onto the center of the stage. "You're here already... I mean, it's great that you're here! Welcome!" She hums to herself, looking out into the audience. After a few moments, she stage whispers, " _Elsa!_ Elsa where are you?" Running to the other side of the stage, she looks out past the set. "Elsa, this isn't funny!" Seeming to get an idea, Anna returns to center stage. "Oooh, I know!" Looking around the room, she sings, "Do you want to build a snowman?" With a dejected shrug, she says, "Yeah, that never works. Have any of you seen my sister? The Queen of Arendelle. She's about so tall," Anna gestures slightly above her. "Blonde. Kinda keeps to herself. Oh! And she has _weird,_ icy snow powers." She pretends to shoot snow out of her fingers, making  _pssh pssh_ sound effects.

The audience bursts into laughter, Rose joining in as loudly as some of the kids.

"No? Alright, just gotta do this by myself," Anna decides, putting her back to the audience to pump herself up. "I'm ready. I was  _born_ ready," she whispers to herself. When Anna turns back around, she wears a wide smile and gestures broadly to the crowd with one arm and then the other. " _Hello_ citizens of the kingdom of Hollywood Land! My name is Princess Anna of Arendelle." Trumpets sound when she says her name. "Please help me welcome the newly appointed royal historians of Arendelle!"

The remainder of the thirty minutes pass by quickly. The two "historians" retell the story of Frozen and lead into the song clips. It's basically a glorified way to watch the movie in under an hour, but everyone joins in the fun. At the end, Anna, Kristoff and Elsa take the stage and declare the audience honorary citizens of Arendelle.

"We should get pins to commemorate this moment!" Rey suggests jokingly.

To her surprise, nods and small noises of agreement sound on either side of her.

The show ends with yet  _another_ round of  _Let It Go_ and the audience is set loose. When they walk back out into the daylight, Rey is surprised to see Ben already waiting for them. He's sitting on the steps in the front of the building, bent over his phone reading an eBook.

"How were the Padawans, Mr. Ren?" Rose asks.

He looks up from his phone and grimaces. "Unstructured at best. I wrongly assumed it was going to be a show, not a group of random younglings." Ben takes hold of the railing and boosts himself up, pocketing his phone. "Did you all enjoy your karaoke?"

"It wasn't karaoke," Lindsey says, averting her eyes bashfully. "But yes."

Jane already has her cellphone in hand again and she points to the left. "We've gotta go down Sunset Boulevard for our FastPasses."

"Yes, time for some action!" Lindsey pumps her fist into the air. "What's first?"

The six of them start off in that direction. A mock two lane road is lined with palm trees, street lamps and Art Deco buildings, most of which are facades. Big band jazz and swing music plays throughout this section of the park. Marquees on top of the stores advertise products in twinkling lights. Topiaries line the entrances. All in all, it truly feels like Disney manufactured 1930-1940's Hollywood.

"The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at ten fifteen and then the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at eleven."

Ben and Rey exchange looks when Jane mentions the first attraction, both of them knowing there's no way Ben can ride. It puts passengers in a "stretch limousine" speeding through Southern California for a fictional Aerosmith concert and is the second fastest ride on Disney World property. 

"I hate Aerosmith," Ben declares loudly enough for all of them to hear. "Count me out of the first one."

"Yeah, and I can't do rides that go upside down or I'll hurl," Rey adds.

"Alright," Paige says, as they pass the Theater of the Stars. It advertises showtimes for Beauty and the Beast.

The six of them stop as the boulevard nears its end. Eerie music cuts through the air from the Tower just ahead, dueling with the rock music coming from the rollercoaster on their left. "Everyone else good to ride?"

Rose, Lindsey and Jane all nod.

Looking at Ben, Paige states, "I'll take them. Meet us in the FastPass line for the Tower of Terror at five til eleven."

"Sounds good," he agrees, his expression stoic as the four girls march off.

Rey and Ben stand near the two stone gates that provide a transition from cheerful and lively Sunset Boulevard to the creepy, abandoned hotel. Despite being two extra faces in the crowd, they know that they're far from alone - students and chaperones from ElRo could be anywhere in the small theme park.

"We could just walk around," Ben suggests. "Act like we're searching for the rest of our party."

"Can walking around include a snack? We passed a sweets shop a little while back."

Half of Ben's mouth pulls back in a smile that displays one deeply set dimple. "How could I say no?"

They keep a good foot of distance between them as they walk back up the pathway. 

Sweet Spells opens to a pastry case with freshly baked goods in front of a partial kitchen. Cast members in gingham and light stripes scurry back and forth behind the counter, while one gentlemen is dipping over-sized marshmallows into melted chocolate in front of a large display window. Rey makes a beeline for the window, her eyes widening as she watches the man shake off excess chocolate before placing the stick down on a parchment lined tray.

Coming up behind her, Ben's voice is low, "You're a chocolate girl, huh?"

She nods, her attention still held by the exhibition in front of her. "It was always a special treat when I was little. Dad would bring home chocolates from his business trips, different kinds from all over the world." Rey looks over her shoulder at Ben. "And then I didn't have it for a long time. Eventually, Poe figured out that it was my weakness and he'd scrounge up coins to buy chocolates to bribe me with. Just for little things, like doing his chores at the home or helping with his math homework," she smiles wistfully. "I'm so lucky to have been in the system with Poe, I don't know what I'd have done without him."

Raking a large hand through his hair, Ben holds her gaze. "I'm glad you've had someone to watch out for you. Poe's a good guy."

"Yeah, he is."

"And if it's chocolate you desire, I'm more than happy to oblige." Ben steps up to the register and offers a dazzling smile to the young girl there. "Do you have any of those-" he points to the cooling tray, "available?"

The girl tells him they do and Ben requests one. After he pays, Ben hands it to Rey. "No bribery required."

"At some point, I'll have to stop accepting food from you," Rey says with a smile. "But today is not that day." She takes a large bite out of the chocolate marshmallow and closes her eyes while she chews. "Thank you."

Ben mumbles a soft ' _y_ _ou're welcome'_ and opens the door for her. 

"Oh Ben, look," Rey points to the assorted prop luggage just past the closest lamp post. "It's old Route 66." She nearly grabs his hand, but thinks better of it and just leads the way. 

Five pieces of old timey luggage surround a small sign for 'California US 66'. 

"This is so cool, I've always wanted to take a road trip down Route 66." Rey reaches for the phone in her back pocket and pulls it out, gesturing Ben closer with the marshmallow. "We have to take a selfie!"

"A  _selfie_ _?_ " Ben asks, shaking his head with mock disgust. 

"Yes, a selfie!" Rey double taps the home button, bringing up the camera. She swipes the screen to switch to the front camera and holds her right arm out in front of her. "Please?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Ben moves to the left of Rey.

She swivels her arm a bit, trying to get as much of the sign and the props in the picture as possible. Smiling wide, Rey says, "Say  _cheese._ "

"Cheese," Ben repeats, ducking down awkwardly next to her. His mouth curves into a close-lipped smile.

"A real smile, please?" Rey asks, pressing her shoulder against his arm.

Looking down at her fondly, Ben's mouth widens, showing off his teeth.

Rey clicks the shutter button repeatedly until they're both looking at the camera. Moving away from him, she selects the gallery. Her smile only grows as she swipes through the pictures. "Perfect."

* * *

After spending half the day at _Hollywood Studios_ , the ElRo group takes buses over to _Epcot_.

Unbeknownst at the time of planning, they've come during the International Flower and Garden Festival. Entering the park, they are greeted with a large topiary display of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy right in front of the Spaceship Earth geosphere.

"Do we have a FassPass for that?" Rose asks, pointing to the giant golf ball-looking structure.

"Nah, but no one ever needs them," Jane replies. "We'll probably be able to walk right on."

They walk with the rest of their group past the monoliths where patrons had left their legacy in the form of tiny pictures and around the circular stone fountain.

Joining in the railed queue, Rey finds herself at the front of her group and unfortunately, right behind Dylan Trite.

Standing with his arms crossed, a grin spreads across the boy's face when he sees Rey approaching. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Two buses just dropped the whole senior class off and this is the first attraction in the park," Rey says in a monotone. "What a surprise."

Dylan slides along the railing to keep with the moving line. "Whatever you say. I choose to believe you've been dying to get me alone ever since we got here."

Rey's face tightens as if she's just taken a punch to the gut. "In no universe would that ever be the case, Dylan. Besides, we're not alone," she gestures to the crowd behind them. "Like I just said, the whole senior class is here."

He shakes his head, undeterred. "Sure."

She huffs with a disgusted sound and turns to Rose, who is walking behind her in front of Ben. "Can we sit together?"

"Yeah, of-"

As they enter the interior of the ride, Disney employees usher them into moving cars. "Two by two, watch your step," a young man prompts Rey and Dylan into the back two seats of a four-person car. 

With a frown, Rey gives a half wave to Rose, who is being shown into the front row of the next car, alongside Ben. Rose mouths a quick  _'I'm sorry'._

"This all part of your little plan, Eliot?" Dylan asks, sliding into the car after Rey.

Rey chooses to ignore him, looking at the screen attached to the seats in front of them. The cars tilt up as they move steadily along into the dark.

 _"Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time; and for a brief moment we have been among it's passengers. But where are we going? And what kind of future will we discover there? Surprisingly, the answers lie in our past,"_ Dame Judi Dench's voice fills the car.

For the first few minutes of the ride, they sit in silence, focused on the animatronic scenes. 

 _"By now, we're all communicating from anywhere on Earth and in 1969 from somewhere else."_ The car moves them past a scene of a family watching the moon landing.

Dylan scoots over and the feeling of his body pressing up against hers makes Rey's stomach drop. She clears her throat loudly and moves as far to the right side of the car as she can.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dylan asks, sliding an arm over her shoulder. 

Rey clenches her teeth and elbows him gently in the stomach. "Get off me, Dylan."

"Come on, Rey. We're basically alone, you don't have to act shy," he says, practically in her ear.

Her body tenses and Rey raises her voice as she says, "I am not  _shy,_ I'm simply not interested." Turning her head to him, Rey's face is lit up as the car moves past a model of an early computer. "Are you daft?"

Dylan groans, but withdraws his arm. 

When the ride gets dark once again, Rey feels a hand take hold of her knee. " _Dude,_ " she growls, grabbing his wrist in an effort to peel his hand off.

"Ooh, frisky!" Dylan chortles. Resisting her efforts, he slides his hand up her leg.

At this point, Rey's frustration is turning to alarm.

_How much longer is this ride?_

"Stop it, Dylan," Rey says firmly, her voice sounding much more confident than she's feeling.

"I like it when girls play hard to get," he murmurs. Dylan's hand halts its ministrations, having reached the top of her thigh.

Rey can feel sharp prickles of sweat beading all over her body and her breath is coming out shallow. She's frozen inside her own body and the feeling makes her want to scream, kick, bite, throw up - possibly all at the same time. 

Her eyes are glued to the screen ahead of them, prompting them to answer multiple choice questions about the kind of future they'd want.

Blessedly, this is enough to distract Dylan. He leans forward and starts touching answers on the screen, Rey wrapping her arms around herself in the meantime.

_What just happened?_

The screen shows a loading message, Dylan having finished working through all the options. He leans back and watches it play out an imaginary scenario for the future, the car moving them along the track. 

When it ends, he wraps an arm around Rey once more.

" _Dylan!_ Get your hands off me!" Rey shouts. 

There is actual light at the end of the tunnel, the unloading bay coming into view.

"Rey?" Ben and Rose's voices sound from the car a few feet behind.

The small door slides open and Rey stumbles to get out and get away from this chauvinistic teenager. 

Fingers reach out in an attempt to grab her waist, and instead find purchase in the fabric of her t-shirt. "Wait up, we haven't gotten to the best part yet," Dylan snarls, pulling her to the side of the entrance to Project Tomorrow.

Rey turns around and shoves him away from her.

_"Hey!"_

Both of their heads turn at the deeply menacing sound.

"What the kriff do you think you're doing to her?" Ben shouts, bounding over to Dylan in one long stride. He doesn't touch the teenager, but stands close enough to appear threatening.

Dylan looks up at the teacher, scowling. "What I do is  _none of your business_ , teach!"

Looking down his nose, Ben shakes his head once. "Don't feed me that druk, Mr. Trite." He breaks eye contact only briefly to check on Rey, standing a few feet away with Rose now at her side. "Are you alright?"

Her shoulders slump, releasing their tension and she looks over at Ben with what can only be construed as relief. "Y-yes, I'm fine," Rey speaks softly.

A loud, snarky laugh pours from Dylan's lips as he watches this exchange. "Oh, I get it. Everybody's favorite teacher has the hots for one of his students."

The scene has attracted a crowd of curious faces, most of which are part of the ElRo group.

Dylan seems to gain confidence from this, and he gazes around the room at their faces. "And it looks like she wants to kriff him too. If she's not already." 

Looks of alarm spread through the sea of people, murmuring back and forth rapidly.

"No!" Rey protests, stepping towards her harasser. 

"Is that why you didn't want to do anything, Rey?" Dylan asks, his voice spiteful.

Ms. Tano pushes to the front of the crowd and places both hands on her hips. "What do you have to say for yourself, Kylo? Is there any truth to Mr. Trite's accusation?"

Ben's eyes drift over Rey's before he addresses his fellow faculty member. "No, that's absurd."

Dylan's friends start to come forward, circling closely around the two teachers. They talk over one another, but it's clear that they're just backing up Dylan's story with things they've "seen".

"I've heard enough!" Ms. Tano states loudly. She fishes around the purse slung over her shoulder and produces her cellphone. "To be honest, I don't know what to do right now. I'm going to call Mr. Saliani."

Shaking her head nervously, Rey puts a hand on Ms. Tano's arm. "No! I can explain!" She withdrawals the touch and turns to the crowd of students and chaperones. Everyone is staring at her silently. "Let me tell you something. I don't even care that you're choosing not to interrogate the actual predator," she juts a finger over towards Dylan. "I don't care about your social politics and all the blatant lies. I'm twenty-five years old! I'm an undercover reporter for  _The New York Times_ and I have been beating my _brains out_ trying to hold my tongue around you people!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started from the bottom, now we're here.


	20. April 21 - 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The younger girl's eyes narrow. "Who's Ben?"
> 
> "Oh, um, Mr. Ren."
> 
> Rose's jaw sets, the look of betrayal replaced with one Rey has never seen on her. "All this time, you _did_ like him. But you lied about that as well," her nostrils flare. "My family welcomed you into our home, but you returned trust for deception."

The crowd of students, family members and teachers look at Rey with a mixture of surprise and disgust. A spy in  _their_ midst? How dare she! Some of the people shuffle a few steps back, as if Rey is a contagious pariah.

For once, even Ms. Tano appears to be speechless. She looks between where Rey touched her skin and Rey herself, mouth agape. 

Pursing her lips, the weight of her words finally settles over Rey.

_I did it._

_I exposed myself to them._

Her gaze scans the crowd, trying to pick out faces that still appear friendly. 

Girls she has gotten to know this semester, has partied and even roomed with, refuse to meet Rey's eyes. 

Dylan and his cronies whisper back and forth, sharing secrets. When he does look at her, Dylan almost seems embarrassed.

_Good. He very well should._

Still standing the closest to her, Ben offers Rey a small but reassuring smile. He clearly wants to come to her, but given the truth bomb she just dropped, it would likely put his job on the line.

She gives him a barely discernible nod.

_We'll talk later._

Rey's heart is pumping hard in her chest, not used to all this attention. Looking through the doors to Project Tomorrow where unassociated people are playing game-like exhibits, Rey parts her lips to speak. 

Before she can get a word in, Rose's soft voice cuts through the mechanical sounds of the ride. "You-you lied to me?" She peeks out from behind Ben, dark brown eyes wide as saucers.

Frowning, Rey nods once. Rose is the last person she ever wanted to hurt. The least she can do is give her some semblance of truth now. "I did and I'm sorry. I never meant to get this close to you," her eyebrows lower and she sweeps her gaze around the room. "To any of you."

Lindsey acknowledges Rey at last with a grimace. "You don't belong here, Rey. If that  _is_ your real name."

"You're right, I don't," Rey clears her throat and takes a step closer to the next room. "I got the story, so my job is completed." She catches Ms. Tano's eyes. "I'll get an Uber to the hotel and be gone before you all get back tonight."

Ms. Tano stares at her silently for long enough to make it uncomfortable. Eventually, she speaks, "See that you are." Gesturing to the large group, she heads toward the double doors. "Let's go, Eleanor Roosevelt students."

As they walk through, Rey can hear her name muttered along with several expletives. She drops her hazel eyes to the floor, heat rising in her body.

_This whole thing has quite possibly been the worst twenty minutes of my adult life._

An exaggerated cough draws Rey's attention back up. The only one left standing there, Rose still wears the same wounded baby animal expression. 

"Rose," Rey breathes the girl's name out softly.

Only a few feet are between them, but the situation makes it feel like a vast ocean.

"I always thought you were mature for your age... I guess now it makes sense," Rose says, her voice small.

"I'm sorry I had to lie about certain things, but I promise you that all the details and...emotions, that was  _me._ " Déjà vu overcomes Rey, this feeling eerily similar to when Ben found out her true identity. "You can ask Ben, he knows how badly I wanted to tell you, too. How much I value our friendship."

The younger girl's eyes narrow. "Who's Ben?"

"Oh, um, Mr. Ren."

Rose's jaw sets, the look of betrayal replaced with one Rey has never seen on her. "All this time, you  _did_ like him. But you lied about that as well," her nostrils flare. "My family welcomed you into our home, but you returned trust for deception." Shaking her head, Rose walks towards the doors to join everyone else.

"Please, if you would just let me-"

"I don't want to hear anymore, Rey."

* * *

Text alerts and phone calls light Rey's phone up like yesterday's fireworks display.

Imagining who they might be from and what those people may have to say is more than enough to keep her from investigating. Rey's only solace is that she hasn't worn a camera in weeks, so the likelihood of Mr. Hux trying to reach her right now is slim.

She tears her eyes away from where her cellphone sits on top of her bag and looks over to the driver's seat.

Listening to the Uber driver talk about her busy week is a welcome break from Rey's thoughts. 

"...And you'd better believe I gave his crazy self one star! He should think twice before ever trying to get in  _this_ car again."

"You don't have to accept his ride, Jen. You deserve to be treated with respect," Rey remarks.

"Thank you! That's exactly what I'm saying!" Jen gestures widely with her right hand, left hand on the wheel.

The car pulls up to the _American Airlines_ drop off at Terminal A and Jen pops the trunk. She puts the car in park and starts to unbuckle her seatbelt when Rey shakes her head and lightly touches the woman's arm.

"That's alright, I can take it from here."

Shifting in her seat, Jen nods. "You take care of yourself. I hope you can change your ticket for an earlier flight."

"Thank you," Rey smiles, picking up her satchel off the floor before opening the passenger side door. "I'm crossing my fingers that you get only normal riders this evening."

Rey steps out of the car and walks around to the back, lifting the trunk up. She retrieves her small suitcase and places it on the curb. Shutting the trunk, she steps out of the road and gives a little wave to Jen. 

A baggage handler wearing an _American Airlines_ polo approaches Rey, offering to check her suitcase surbside. Shaking her head, Rey explains that she needs to change her ticket. The man directs her to the check-in desk inside and she thanks him with a smile.

Pulling her suitcase behind her, Rey reaches into the bag on her shoulder. Her fingers wrap around her wallet and she extracts it, stepping through the automatic doors. She locates her boarding pass for Monday along with her license and joins in the small queue. 

She parks the suitcase in front of her and places the documents on top. With nothing else to occupy her mind, Rey finally withdrawals her cellphone. 

A sharp intake of breath allows her to summon the courage to unlock it and face the music. 

_(6) Missed Calls_

_(2) New Voicemails_

_(3) New Text Messages from Poe_

_(8) New Text Messages from Orlando_

Scrunching up her nose, Rey clears the notifications away and clicks Poe's name first.

 

 

> **\---- Saturday, April 21 ----**
> 
> **– Poe | 4:14 –**
> 
> _Are you okay? Paige just sent me this._
> 
> _FWD from The Babe: Rose is freaking out. Her best friend Rey turned out to be some kind of undercover reporter. The happiest place on earth has a metaphorical rain cloud over it right now. I don't know what to do. Why can't you be here?? :(_
> 
> _What happened, Rey-bee?_

 

Rey uses her foot to push the suitcase forward in line and types back.

 

 

> **– Rey | 6:17 –**
> 
> _BLARGH. :/_
> 
> _I'll explain tonight, I'm trying to get a flight home now._

 

She clicks back to the inbox and lets her finger hover over Orlando's name.A small victory in all of this, Rey edits his contact information to 'Ben Solo' and adds a picture of them in front of the Route 66 sign. The sight of Ben smiling down at a grinning Rey makes her smile and touch the screen affectionately. 

Another text comes through from Ben, opening the thread automatically.

 

 

> **\---- Saturday, April 21 ----**
> 
> **– Ben Solo | 4:12 –**
> 
> _I'm sorry, Rey. I couldn't stop myself._
> 
> _I almost punched the little kriffer._
> 
> _Maybe I should have. Then you wouldn't have had to come out to everyone._

> **– Ben Solo | 4:31 –**
> 
> _I wish I could have left with you. You're the whole reason I volunteered for this trip._

> **– Ben Solo | 5:17 –**
> 
> _Where are you now? I had to bring Joe back to the hotel, he thinks he got food poisoning._

> **– Ben Solo | 5:23 –**
> 
> _Either you're not in your room or you won't come to the door. I'm worried about you, please answer your phone._

> **– Ben Solo | 5:47 –**
> 
> _Are you at the airport?_

> **– Ben Solo | 5:53 –**
> 
> _You're killing me, woman._

> **– Ben Solo | 6:17 –**
> 
> _I'm coming to the airport._
> 
>  

Someone behind her clears their throat and Rey looks up to find that she's next in line, holding everyone else up. Her cheeks flush and she mumbles an apology, dropping her phone into the bag. The clerk behind the counter smiles, not altogether impatient. "Ma'am? How may I help you?" 

Rey bends down to pick up her documents and takes the handle of her suitcase. She walks up to the counter, offering the woman a radiant smile.

_Please be nice to me._

"Hello, how are you doing today?"

"Well, thank you ma'am. How may I assist you?"

Handing over her boarding pass and identification, Rey says, "I'm hoping you have a flight to _LaGuardia_ tonight. My ticket is for Monday, but I can't stay here."

"Not enjoying the weather, ma'am?"

"Oh, it's been lovely. I just...need to get home."

The woman nods, perfected smile still in place. "Let me see here," she directs her attention to the computer monitor in front of her. 

"Thank you." Rey tries to look casual, as if she's not completely desperate. She tucks a particularly unruly section of wavy hair behind an ear and pretends to study the illuminated American Airlines sign.

"Ahh. We have a seat on the 7:55, but it's in business class."

Snapping to focus, Rey starts to speak, "I'll take-"

"But there will be a fee to change the flight on top of the upgrade."

"I see," Rey nods solemnly. "How much is this going to cost me?"

"$400, plus tax."

Without meaning to, Rey flinches. Her eyes squeeze together like she's expecting a punch to the gut.

"Would you like to just take your previously scheduled flight on Monday?"

Opening her eyes, Rey shakes her head with determination. "No, I'll take it."

It pains her to hand over the slate colored emergency credit card, and she has to tell herself it'll be worth it.

_Hux is going to have to promote me._

_Then this will just be a drop in the bucket._

The woman takes the payment, hands Rey her license and new boarding pass, and wishes her a happy flight.

Thanking her, Rey grabs the handle of her suitcase and walks towards the security check point.

For an evening on a Saturday, the line isn't very long. Rey is nearly to the security officer when a deep, familiar voice calls out her name.

_"Rey! Wait!"_

She turns around, scanning the large room for the owner of the voice. 

Ben Solo stands near the queue's entrance, bent over with his hands on his thighs, chest heaving.

"Ben!" Relief at seeing him floods her body. It's like an invisible corset has been loosened and suddenly she can breathe deeply again. "Excuse me, I'm so sorry," she mumbles, rushing back through the line. 

Stopping a few feet away from him, Rey drops the handle of her suitcase. Ben crosses the space between them, meeting her in the middle. 

Without any hesitation, he wraps both arms around her waist, encompassing her with his broad frame. 

Her hands snake around his neck in response.

Their faces draw close, eyes locking briefly. Ben wastes no time, four months of build up ending when he presses his lips against hers. 

Rey hums a small sound of surprise that subsides into satisfaction halfway through.

Despite his eagerness, Ben's full lips are gentle. They caress her lips patiently, as if he's afraid he'll break her by pressing too firmly. By showing her what he wants.

Not satisfied with this, Rey parts her lips, capturing his lower lip between them.

All of the sudden, Ben's hands slide down her lower back and Rey's right hand cradles his head, fingertips stroking along his jaw. 

Her thumb brushes against his hair and when she sucks softly on his lip he responds in kind, her kiss heightening every one of his senses.

Ben bends her backwards slightly. His hands drift farther down until they're cupping her bottom, squeezing the ample flesh. This elicits a barely audible moan. Tentatively, Ben runs his tongue along her lips and Rey breathes out a soft laugh. She places another kiss to his mouth before pulling back, burying her face against his neck. 

"Hi," Rey murmurs, her breath shallow. 

"Hi," he repeats. Ben brings an arm around her waist again, his right hand coming up to stroke her hair. "Sorry, I just-"

"Don't you dare apologize for that," Rey lifts her head abruptly. 

Ben's deep brown eyes are somewhat glazed over which only makes her grin.

"I've wanted to kiss you since..." he trails off, shrugging after a moment.

"Me too."

Rey lets one hand slide down his chest, the pads of her fingers lingering over his ribcage. 

"Are you going home?" Ben asks. He raises and lowers his eyebrows before shaking his head. "Of course you are. Sorry."

"There's nothing left for me to do now but finish what I started," Rey says. "I don't know how long it'll take, I have quite a few things to sort out..." She sucks in her bottom lip and looks up at him like he's the man with all the answers. And maybe, for her, he is.

Ben nods, eyes traveling over her features as he smiles absentmindedly. "When can I see you again?"

_Tomorrow._

_Every day for the rest of my life._

"I'll let you know when I've finished."

"And the second that you do, I'm taking you out."

They share a quiet laugh, his finger wrapping around a lock of her hair.

"Is that a promise?"

"It's an oath. A pledge of my allegiance." Ben leans closer, his lips brushing airily against hers. "To you."

* * *

Rey leans back against the firm wooden chair, stretching her arms in front of her to pop her elbows.

"It's done," she murmurs to no one but herself. 

Five whole days she has spent, cooped up in the tiny apartment.

After her flight home Saturday night, Rey slept more soundly than she had in months. She'd woken early on Sunday, called a family meeting to explain things to Poe, and sent a long warning email to Finn. She wasn't going to tell Hux anything in advance, he'd be reading it along with everyone else. The rest of the week, Rey wrote, revised and wrote some more.

She eyes the time in the corner of the computer screen,  _8:32pm._

If he doesn't see it tonight, no doubt it will be the first thing Armitage Hux sees tomorrow morning. 

Earlier today, Finn had supplied her with an administrator's login for  _The New York Times Online._ Thanks to him, the million plus subscribers would get the article with Rey Jakken's byline on tomorrow's email.

The article is one of the most personal things Rey has ever written, and by far the most intimate thing she's chosen to share with the world. 

She wrote about her personal tragedy, how it affected the rest of her upbringing, the vast difference between her high school experiences and what this says about society. Rey also wrote about Dylan, without including his name, and a call to arms for proper education to identify such people as early as possible. Interwoven amongst all this, she told stories of forged families and friendships and about finally, at the ripe age of twenty-five, falling in love for the very first time.

It is nothing like the piece Hux wanted her to write, but it's the story Rey was  _meant_ to write. Without this experience, she would never have learned so much about herself.

On her phone, Rey sends a link to the article out to all her contacts, albeit a small group.

_One hundred percent honesty from now on._

When the phone rings a few minutes later, she answers it without even looking at the name. Assuming it simply must be Ben.

"Thoughts of hearing your voice are the among the only things that kept me going these past few days," she purrs.

_And thoughts of other things._

"Really?" The surprised voice on the other end of the phone call is most definitely not Ben's.

"...Rose?"

"I read the article you sent me, Rey," her voice is thick and full of sadness. "I had  _no idea_ what you have been through. I'm so sorry for being such a brat."

A sob is caught in Rey's throat that comes out mixed with a laugh. " _Rose."_ Rey smiles so wide it nearly makes her cheeks ache. "You have nothing to be sorry for!"

"Yes, I do. I jumped to false conclusions that I had no right to."

"I should have told you sooner, or at least when Ben accidentally found out."

"Rey, I wish you could have seen him this week!" Rose laughs melodically. "He keeps looking over at the empty seat next to me, all wistful and starry eyed. The man's got it  _bad._ "

Another laugh pours out of her. "I-think-I'm-in-love-with-him," Rey says, the words rushed together. The first time she's ever uttered them.

"I know, silly. I said I read the article."

"Oh." Despite being alone in her bedroom, Rey's body warms up. 

_Everyone will read that._

Ben  _will read it, too._

"I think it's wonderful!" Rose coos.

Rey can just imagine the younger girl, laying on her stomach and fidgeting with her fringe. For not the first time, waves of missing her crash over Rey.

"I hope he thinks so, too. I'm pretty sure the guy is supposed to say it first, but what do I know?"

"He'll definitely say it," Rose says firmly. "Mr. Ren has probably been in love with you for months."

"I miss you," Rey blurts out. "I don't want to sound weird, but can we still be friends?"

The few seconds it takes Rose to answer make Rey's heart beat mercilessly. "I certainly hope so. I've been secretly calling you my best friend ever since you came over for dinner."

Knowing what she has with Rose is much different than her friendship with Finn, Rey can confidently say, "You're my best friend, too."

* * *

After planning a lunch date with Rose, Rey went out into the living room to watch a movie with Poe. 

It's nearly midnight when she fumbles for the lightswitch in her room. The notification light on her cellphone is blinking blue. 

Rey walks over and picks it up, taking a seat on the edge of her bed as she turns on the screen.

_(1) New Text Message from Ben Solo_

Her ears burn and her heart skips a beat, eyes reading the message over once. Twice. A third time.

 

 

> **\---- Thursday, April 26 ----**
> 
> **– Ben Solo | 9:01 –**
> 
> _This is probably breaking all sorts of first date rules, but I want to take you out before eight o'clock. Let's do something a bit different before dinner. Have you ever been to the Hayden Planetarium? I want to show you the stars. And then wine and dine you. My only request is that you wear that teal blue excuse for a dress I saw you in at The William._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS, the end is nigh! :'(  
> I don't know what I'll do with myself then. But for now, roll around in the feels with me?  
> xx


	21. April 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Thank you." Her eyes widen when she realizes she's left a pink imprint on his cheek. "Oops, I left a little..."
> 
> She reaches out to wipe the pout off and Ben gently stops her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. "Maybe I like being marked."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NGL, I was listening to a lot of Parachute while writing this. Especially "Kiss Me Slowly".

Rey is jolted awake by the sound of her phone ringing. 

_What time is it?_

Squinting in the early morning darkness, she rolls over to the edge of her bed and runs a hand blindly along the floor until she touches the device.

She drowsily brings it up, holding the phone close to her face.

_Armitage "The General" Hux is Calling..._

Her heart speeds up, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Sitting upright, Rey leans against her headboard and swipes to accept the call.

"Good morning, Mr. Hux."

"You honestly have the audacity to say  _good morning_ to me?!" he booms.

"...Yes, sir."

"How dare you go behind my back? I know a little copy editor couldn't have done this by herself," Hux growls. "You must have had help. I demand you tell me who else is involved!"

Rey gulps audibly.

_It's too early for this._

"Miss Jakken!"

"I didn't have any help, I'm perfectly capable of getting an administrator login myself," she says carefully.

"Preposterous. I knew you were daft, but this is a new level of stupidity. Not only did you  _not_ write the story you were assigned, you wrote - what? A personal discovery piece?" He sounds disgusted. 

Furrowing her brows, anger bubbles in Rey's stomach. "I'm sorry sir, but you have no right to talk to me like that. I have always treated you with respect and I don't think it's too much to expect the same from you."

For once in all the time she's known him, Armitage Hux does not come back with a retort.

Taking this as encouragement to keep talking, Rey continues, "I realize that I didn't give you the story you wanted but I'm a decent human being. I can't just use someone else's trust to find out all their dirty secrets and sell them. These are real people, Mr. Hux. Their personal lives and issues are not something to put on display without express consent. So if my story does terribly, I'll accept that. If no one reads it, I'll tender my own resignation. But  _please,_ just give me a chance." Words are tumbling from her lips so quickly that Rey can barely comprehend the weight behind them. "I was born to be a writer, I've never been more sure of anything. In fact, I should be thanking you. If you didn't give me this assignment, I wouldn't have met all these amazing people and...Yeah." Rey laughs softly. "Thank you, Mr. Hux."

"I suppose I could give you a few days, see how the story resonates with our readers."

Rey rubs the sleep from her eyes, making sure she's actually awake. "Oh my goodness, thank you, sir!"

"To be clear, your job depends entirely on the outcome. I won't be made a fool in front of my colleagues."

She claps a hand over her mouth to hold back a happy squeal. Nodding rapidly, Rey says, "Absolutely. I understand completely."

"...Good. I expect to see you Monday morning in my office."

"Yes, sir," Rey agrees, smiling to herself. "Oh, and Mr. Hux? Please, read the article."

* * *

Placing the curling iron down on the bathroom counter, Rey admires the reflection in the mirror. 

Her brunette tresses have been curled loosely into glossy beach waves. She's also located a makeup palette she'd long forgotten about, and attempted a taupe and grey smokey eye with the help of a YouTube tutorial. A fuschia pink emboldens full lips, complementing the vivid teal blue dress Ben had requested. 

For all her lack of cosmetic experience, the completed look isn't half bad.

After tucking her hair behind her ears, Rey opens the small box Poe gave her when she graduated. A pair of rose gold ball stud earrings shine in the fluorescent lighting. Humming along to the song playing from her cellphone's speakers, she pierces them through her ears and attaches the backs, one by one.

It's nearly half past four in the afternoon, meaning Ben is probably home from the high school.

Not for the first time, Rey feels slight relief that their first date is earlier in the day. Otherwise, Poe would be home from work and more than likely teasing her about how she rarely wears lipstick. 

She's been to the American Museum of Natural History, but never to the planetarium. Already, Ben is introducing Rey to new things. It only adds to the excitement she feels over finally being able to get to know him like a normal adult. 

Rey flips down the lightswitch and picks up her phone, the music blaring as she walks into her bedroom. She bounds across to room to the back corner and places the cellphone on her desk. Crouching down in front of her closet, she sorts through her minimal shoe collection with one hand. It's mostly pairs of practical kitten heels and wedge sandals, along with her running shoes. Undisturbed towards the back is a pair of strappy nude heels. Rey pulls them free and takes a seat in her desk chair, beginning to fasten the thin straps around her ankles.

The text notification sound cuts through the song and Rey eyes the screen.

_(1) New Text Message from Ben Solo_

Once she finishes adjusting her shoes, Rey unlocks the device and taps on the message.

> **\---- Friday, April 27 ----**
> 
> **– Ben Solo | 4:34 –**
> 
> _I just got off the subway, ETA according to Google Maps is seven minutes._

A smile spreads across her brightly painted lips. It's been nearly a week since she last saw Ben in the Orlando Airport. Six long days without hearing the resonance of his voice. One hundred and forty-four hours and twelve minutes, approximately, since they shared a room-spinning, life-altering first kiss.

Rey's fingers glide over the screen, typing out a response.

> **– Rey | 4:34 –**
> 
> _Can you make it in six?_

Three little dots tell her that Ben is writing back. Rey nearly bites into her lower lip but remembers her lipstick in the knick of time. Instead, she opts for twirling a freshly curled strand of hair around her right index finger.

> **– Ben Solo | 4:34 –**
> 
> _Impatient, sweetheart?_

Taking a small silver clutch with her, Rey types as she walks out of her bedroom and down the hallway.

> **– Rey | 4:35 –**
> 
> _You have no idea. Are you?_

She's just walked into the living room when Ben's reply pops up.

> **– Ben Solo | 4:35 –**
> 
> _In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed._

A soft laugh pours from Rey's lips. She places the clutch on the coffee table and reaches into her satchel. Locating her wallet, Rey takes out her license and bank card. She opens the clutch and slides those inside before replacing the wallet into her larger bag.

Tucking the clutch under her arm, Rey heads towards the front door, typing.

> **– Rey | 4:35 –**
> 
> _Are you honestly quoting Austen to me right now?_

There is a small set of hooks on the wall by the door, Rey's keychain dangling from one of them. She takes her keys and begins to open the deadbolts on the door, keeping one eye on the phone screen until he's replied.

> **– Ben Solo | 4:35 –**
> 
> _...Possibly._

After unlocking the last one, Rey opens the door to the shared apartment building hallway. She walks out and locks up behind her.

Placing her keys in the clutch for safekeeping, Rey walks through the hallway, down the stairs, and out the front door of building. 

Stepping into the early evening glow, she looks both ways down the street.

No sign of Ben.

Rey leans against the building's paneling and composes another message.

> **– Rey | 4:37 –**
> 
> _Alright, I'll allow it. Who am I to question Fitzwilliam Darcy?_

His response pings seconds later.

> **– Ben Solo | 4:37 –**
> 
> _Actually that would be very Elizabeth Bennet of you._

Vibrant lips part and spread into a devilish grin.

> **– Rey | 4:37 –**
> 
> _This whole "English teacher" thing you've got going on really does it for me._

"Your coquettish text persona does it for me, too."

Ben's voice catches her by surprise. Straightening up, Rey turns in the direction of the sound.

Her grin morphs into something softer as she takes in the welcome sight of him walking towards her.

Dressed in all black, Ben looks as handsome as Rey's ever seen him. The silky texture of his tie stands out nicely against the matte black of the suit. The only color to be seen on Ben is a hint of red at the bottom of his shoes, visible briefly when he takes large strides.

"You're perfect," Ben says, awed by the sight of her.

At the same moment, Rey coyly asks, "Don't you clean up nicely?"

They share a soft laugh and then all at once, Ben comes to a stop right in front of her.

No longer whispering in private or dramatically rushing towards each other as in the past, first date jitters seem to fall over them.

Rey opens her arms for a hug while Ben leans down to kiss her, resulting in a one-sided embrace and a kiss placed on top of her head.

"Oh, er, sorry," she says softly, releasing him.

"My apologies," Ben agrees.

Rey's cheeks redden, but she tries to hide it by leaning forward on her toes to press a soft kiss on Ben's cheek. "Here."

"You...smell wonderful," Ben whispers as she pulls back slightly. 

"Thank you." Her eyes widen when she realizes she's left a pink imprint on his cheek. "Oops, I left a little..."

She reaches out to wipe the pout off and Ben gently stops her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. "Maybe I like being marked." 

His words cause Rey's breath to catch in the back of her throat. Nodding, she lowers her hand.

Ben lets go only to lace their fingers together. He stares at their hands, wide eyed, for a few moments. When he looks into Rey's eyes again, there's a light smile on his lips. "This feel surreal."

"Yes, it does." Rey gives his hand a squeeze. "I feel like we know so much about each other, and yet, nothing at all. Does that make sense?"

Raising his eyebrows a few millimeters, Ben agrees, "Nothing about this has been conventional." He gestures forward with his head, and they begin to walk towards the 125th Street subway station. "But it'll make a great story one day."

_One day?_

"Speaking of great stories," he whistles. "Rey, I thought I knew your writing but, wow."

"You liked it?" Rey's stomach feels like it's doing cartwheels.

_He read it._

_He read the whole thing._

"It's the most powerful thing I've read of yours." Ben catches her eyes meaningfully. "You should be proud."

"I actually am, so thank you." She fidgets with the clasp on the clutch as they walk. "Mr. Hux called me about it this morning. He's royally peeved."

"Did he read it?"

"No. He wanted to know how I posted it online by myself and what I was thinking," Rey laughs once, nervously. "For the first time, I stood up to him. It felt reckless, but so empowering."

"How did that go over?"

"Surprisingly well. He's letting the article run through the weekend, to see how our subscribers respond." She releases his hand to walk into the subway entrance. Behind her, Ben ducks as he walks through. "I'm going back to the office on Monday to discuss it with him. Hopefully I'll still have a job."

Each of them produces a MetroCard and they swipe it, entering through the turnstile. "Hux would have to be inept not to appreciate what you've written. If he doesn't want it, I bet the Tribune or the Post would."

"I hadn't considered that, but you've got a point."

It's dimly lit inside as they make their way down the steps to the subway platform. Stopping a few feet back from the painted yellow line, they regard each other with shy smiles. Ben places a hand on Rey's lower back and warmth spreads through her. His hand nearly spans her entire back. At 5'7, she's never considered herself especially petite. But next to Ben's colossal stature, she feels almost dainty. 

Rey steps into his touch, brushing her bare shoulder against his arm. "How was your week back at ElRo?"

He groans, long and drawn out, mildly playful. "Miserable."

Laughing, she nudges him with her arm before winding it around his waist. "You're full of druk."

Ben rubs his thumb against her thoughtfully. "It was fine, I suppose. Every time I saw Dylan Trite I wanted to physically shake him. Ms. Tano can't meet my eye, I think part of her still believes the little punk. But classes were normal. We started the last book of the year,  _Death of a Salesman._ "

"No more Byronic heroism?"

"Not for this senior class."

"Okay, so  _next year_ you'll meet another confusing seventeen year old and-"

"Let me stop you right there. First of all, that's not funny," Ben narrows his eyes, which only makes Rey laugh at him. "Secondly, you were a very special circumstance. And finally, I never quite believed you were seventeen!" A loud rumbling fills the station, the subway speeding down the tracks. "Can we agree never to bring this up again?"

When it comes to a screeching halt, Rey steps forward with him. "Oh but Ben, how will we tell our children the tale of how we met?" The words have only just met the air when Rey realizes the mistake she's made.

"Our children?" Ben repeats. When the doors open, he takes his arm back, allowing Rey to board first.

Grateful that he can't currently see her inflamed face, Rey walks on and to the left. She heads to the back of the car, spotting open seating. Despite the noisiness of the station, the subway car itself is fairly quiet. Rey slides in and takes a seat, Ben only a step behind her. 

Directing her face towards the darkened window, Rey quietly says, "Forget I said anything, please."

"Rey, I..." Ben starts, his lips agape with thoughtful intention. Feeling the discomfort practically radiating from her, he decides to leave the subject alone for the time being. 

They start moving through the tunnel, little flashes of light rushing by the windows.

"So, the planetarium," Rey says, pausing to clear her throat. "Have you been before?" She turns her face to Ben, brows raised.

"Yes, many times. My mother's side of the family have been donors since she was a little girl. We frequented AMNH all throughout my elementary and junior high years." Ben's face remains neutral, but Rey could swear she spots a little pride in his eyes. "Philanthropy is her true passion, one that running the company allows her the freedom to indulge."

"Your mother must be an extraordinary woman." Rey smiles encouraging. 

Ben nods. "I'll have to introduce the two of you, she's sure to love you."

"I'd really like that."

For the next few minutes, they discuss the finer details of their week. When the subway comes to a stop at their station, they exit together holding hands. It's such a miniscule detail, but it feels monumental to Rey. Holding hands, flirtatious banter, the way their eyes are drawn to each other's lips - it's something she never foresaw for herself. But now that she's here, nothing could feel more natural, more  _right._

Walking down 79th Street, a large glass cube comes into view. 

"That's the Rose Center for Earth and Space," Ben tells her, gesturing with his free hand. "Do you see the giant white ball inside?"

"Mhm."

"It's where we're headed, the Hayden Sphere." He picks up the pace and Rey stretches her legs out to keep up. 

Entering through a revolving glass door, they join a security queue. With only a small clutch to have checked, the pair makes it inside shortly. 

Up close, the sphere is even larger. Rey hears a man tell someone that it's eighty-seven feet in diameter. Models of Jupiter and Saturn hang in front of it, looking tiny by comparison. 

Ben checks his watch before leading her towards the walkway. "The last show starts in just a few minutes."

"Is that why we're having a day-date?" she asks playfully.

He chuckles lightly. " _Yes._ But make no mistake, I plan to keep you out well through the night."

* * *

After the twenty-five minute show narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ben takes Rey to a tucked-away Italian restaurant in Brooklyn.

There are only a total of eight tables and a one-page menu, but what the restaurant lacks in space, it compensates with flavor. 

They sit at a small wooden table, illuminated by candlelight and drink cheap red wine. Rey asks Ben to order her his favorites. As a result, her second "first" of the evening is trying steamed mussels. Roast chicken with fennel, gnocchi with burrata and pomodoro sauce, and butterscotch goat cheese panna cotta round out the meal.

"That was the best meal I've ever eaten," Rey declares emphatically, as they walk down the sidewalk. She presses a hand to her stomach, showing off the post-meal bloat.

"I'm glad you convinced me to order dessert," Ben agrees with a nod.

He stops by the curb, gesturing swiftly at a cab that's just turned the corner. It makes a beeline for them and stops just a foot away from Ben's shoes.

Opening the back door for Rey, Ben asks, "Did I wear you out or are you interested in seeing what else I planned?"

Rey mumbles a thanks and slides in. Once Ben is seated next to her, she says, "The night is young."

Leaning forward with his hands on the seat in front of him, Ben asks the driver if he knows where Union Hall is. Upon confirmation, the cab rejoins the traffic.

When Ben sits back, his left hand goes right to Rey's bare knee, as if magnets were connecting them. 

All evening long, they've given small, affectionate touches. A kiss placed softly on her cheek in the planetarium. Rey's foot grazing Ben's leg under the dinner table. Hand holding like it's going out of style.

But this touch feels more heated, possessive. Especially as Ben's hand unhurriedly inches up her thigh.

Rey's body angles itself toward him automatically, their eyes meeting in the barely visible lighting.

"Have I mentioned how beautiful you are?" he whispers, voice somehow still deep.

"Yes." Rey's fingers cross the space between them and meet his cheek.

Ben moves closer to the touch, nuzzling her hand. "And how in that dress, you look-" 

"Yes." Fingertips trail lightly down his face, over the hair of his moustache and, after a moment's hesitation, across his lips.

He parts them for her and Rey outlines his upper lip, then the lower. 

Their eyes are transfixed, both breathlessly watching this interaction. 

His tongue swipes against her fingertips, the feeling evoking a soft sound from the back of Rey's throat.

"Kiss me," Rey whispers.

All at once, they lunge for each other. Their mouths collide hungrily, the shared taste of wine on their lips. 

Ben cups each side of her face, holding her close, and parts her lips with his tongue, gentle but demanding. 

She grasps his hair, pulling him closer. Rey's kisses are all taking, a desire she never knew she had now awakened inside her. 

Their kiss opens a bubble that spans eternities and galaxies, yet takes no time at all. 

An alarming beep startles the pair, sending each back to their respective sides of the car.

They hadn't even noticed the taxi coming to a stop. 

When Ben leans forward to dig out his wallet and pay, Rey drops her gaze to her lap, running a finger over her bruised lips. 

_Did that really just happen?_

Ben comes around and opens her door, offering a hand to assist her onto the street. Together they approach a brick building with large glass windows.

Inside, it looks like a combination of someone's living room and a really classy library. People are crowded around the lush armchairs, Victorian-styled ornaments and a lit fireplace. Loud rock music fills the air, and Rey has to press her lips to Ben's ear to be heard.

"This reminds me of The William!"

"I thought you'd say that!" he yells back with a smile.

Ben leads her to a bar across from a set of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and hands her a drink menu.

"I'm a whiskey girl," Rey says, immediately setting the menu down on the bar. The words sound hilarious to her and she starts to giggle.

"And here I was thinking you were a red wine girl."

Collecting herself, Rey decides, "Whatever suits the situation." She shrugs coyly.

"I respect that." 

A bartender comes over to them and Ben orders two glasses of single malt whiskey, neat.

"I've got these," Rey says, unclasping the button on her clutch. 

"Rey..."

" _Ben._ " 

They share a pointed look. Undeterred, Rey lifts her eyebrows and frees the bank card from her clutch. 

"Can we start a tab?" she asks, handing it over to the bartender. 

Not five minutes later, they have their drinks in hand and Ben is guiding her through the crowded room.

They pass two bocce courts, the sound of the music amplifying as they bound down a staircase.

A four-piece band that Rey doesn't recognize plays on a small stage, surrounded on three sides by dancing patrons. 

Taking a sip from her glass as they join the crowd, Rey bobs her head in time with the drum beat. 

Ben stands close behind her. Their bodies lightly brush together, moving with the music.

Rey dances freely, the upbeat music sounding better than it probably is after all the drinks they've had. 

When he places his free hand around her hip, she backs up into him, closing any distance they'd left.

"Hi," Rey yells, tilting her head up to see him. 

"Hello." Ben smiles down at Rey like she's the greatest thing he's ever beheld and kisses her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endings are the saddest/hardest for me to write. That being said, these characters deserve to have their stories told thoroughly. Expect the epilogue to be the longest chapter yet!


	22. And They Lived...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he turns to her, Ben wears a look of tenderness that nearly erases the unease of the drive. His large hand glides gently across her shoulder and they both lean in. "She's going to love you," he whispers. His parted lips brush across her cheek before they capture her lips in an affectionate kiss.
> 
> "But not as much as I do," Ben says softly, their faces still close. "That would be impossible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 7.7K ~~of pure fluff,~~ coming at you!

**May 4, 2018**

"Poe Dameron!" Paige hisses under her breath. She gives his arm a playful, yet firm shove. "We're in the library, and you need to  _focus._ "

"How am I supposed to focus when a total babe is quizzing me on physics? Hawking's got nothing on you." Poe grins.

Her countenance softens. It's only been a couple of months, but already she is in so deep. Both of them are hesitant to talk feelings, but the implications are clear. They've discussed their collective futures far too often for this to be a casual fling. 

By now Paige's influence has affected Poe's life monumentally. Her encouragement has motivated him to go after his dreams - dreams he's suppressed for so long. If things go according to plan, Poe will be attending Northwestern University in Illinois this coming fall.

"You're retaking the SATs tomorrow, dude. This is important." Paige juts out her lower lip and causes it to quiver. "Please?"

Poe lets out a deep sigh, his dark mahogany eyes zeroing in on her lips. He stares until they curve into a smile and turns back to the prep book in front of him. "Alright. Let's take it from the top."

* * *

**June 26, 2018**

Rey wears sunglasses and a baseball cap pulled low over her brows. The last bell rang roughly four minutes ago, so it won't be long until Rose walks out the large doors of Eleanor Roosevelt High School for the very last time. Eventually, Ben Solo will follow.

In the past two months, Rey has been spending most weeknights and nearly every weekend with Ben. Sometimes they go out, but mostly they take turns hanging out at each other's apartments. He'll grade papers with her feet in his lap, Rey spread out on the couch, typing away on her laptop. They order take away food occasionally, but it didn't take long for Rey to discover how skilled a cook Ben is. He always submits to her special requests. They've fallen into a pattern of intimacy that goes far beyond the physical. But then there's that, too.

With summer break now arriving for Ben, she knows their relationship will only speed up. Part of Rey realizes that this is all happening rather quickly. Her parents dated all throughout their college years and didn't marry until they were nearly thirty. Finn has mentioned, on more than one occasion, that there's nothing wrong with taking things slow. Ben is the first man she's ever actually  _dated_ and statistically, the first guy isn't the one you grow old with. But despite all this foreknowledge, Rey has decided to just let things happen. She's seen enough romantic comedies to know that Ben isn't the run-of-the-mill man. He's special. 

Newly minted adults begin to pour out of the high school's front doors, eager for one last summer before they start the rest of their lives. Rey runs her fingers over the wrapping paper of the small gift she's brought for Rose. The actual graduation ceremony isn't until Saturday, but patience in gift-giving is not a virtue Rey possesses.

Rose walks out of the school more slowly than some of the others, with Hallie and Krista by her side. The three girls cling to one another, arms wrapped around each other's waists. Rey diverts her attention to the passing traffic, granting them their privacy.

A few minutes pass before a hand gently touches her shoulder. Turning her head, Rey takes in the sight of her friend. 

Puffy, bloodshot eyes and a case of the sniffles; on any other day Rose would appear sick. 

"Oh Rose, please don't cry," Rey says softly. She lifts her sunglasses off and sets them atop the hat. Opening her arms, she whispers, "Come here." 

That's all the encouragement Rose needs. The girls envelop each other in a tight embrace. 

Rose's breath catches in her throat. "I'm happy to be done with it, but it's all so  _sad._ "

Rey gives her another squeeze before releasing her. "You'll see them again. These people will be your friends for life." She nods her head towards Krista, Shawn and Hallie, "You're lucky to have met each other."

"Y-yeah," Rose agrees. "I just wish at least one of them was going to Columbia with me."

Pressing her lips together, Rey nods. "At least you've got Paige there with you for your first year."

"She's going to be miserable company," Rose says with a shallow laugh. "With Poe at Northwestern, all I'm going to hear is how much she misses him."

"Then I'll come over. I'm not going anywhere."

Rose wipes at her eyes and smiles toothily. " _Sure_ you will."

"What? Poe will be in Illinois, I'll have the flat to myself."

"Do you honestly think Mr. Ren is going to be happy letting you live by yourself?"

Gesturing outwards with both hands, Rey shoots the girl a quizzical look. "Uh, Ben knows perfectly well that I'm an adult?"

"That's  _not_ what I meant, but alright. I'll go along with your mock ignorance."

"Oh-kay," Rey enunciates carefully. With a soft sigh, she presses the small package into Rose's hand. "Anyway, this is for you. It's silly, but...well, just open it."

"Ooooh!" Rose squeals, already ripping into the navy wrapping paper. 

"It's just a small little something," Rey continues, watching her friend.

"A velvet box, I love it!"

"The box is _not_ the present!" Laughing, Rey urges, "Open it."

Rose unlatches the box, her eyes widening as they fall upon a minuscule gold kite and matching chain. Immediately, she removes it and tucks the box and wrapping paper into her bag. "Help me put it on?"

"Sure." Rey moves behind Rose and pushes her hair to the side. Taking the ends from her fingers, she clasps the necklace and lays it gently against Rose's neck.

Looking down, Rose takes the pendant between her thumb and index finger. "I love it," she says, awed. "A kite, for Benjamin Franklin, right?"

Rey smiles, uninhibited. "Yes! I wasn't sure you'd remember."

"I remember everything, silly," Rose sticks her tongue out playfully. Linking her arm through Rey's, she nods forward. "Now let's go get ice cream, it's boiling out here!"

* * *

**June 29, 2018**

"What's her dog's name, again?" Rey asks.

Her and Ben sit together on the Cannonball train to The Hamptons. A trip that Ben pitched as a weekend getaway to celebrate the end of the school year, but is really just a thinly veiled excuse to introduce Rey to Leia.

"Chewie," Ben repeats. "Darling, you need to relax. If anyone should be nervous here, it's me. I haven't gone on the company retreat with her since I was in high school."

"No offense, but meeting your boyfriend's mother is definitely a bigger deal." Rey places the novel she's been reading onto her lap and reaches across the armrest for Ben's hand. "I don't know how to act around people's parents, other than the Tico's. I just want her to like me."

Lacing their fingers together, Ben looks into her eyes. "She will. She already loves you for making me call her every Sunday."

Rey searches his gaze, finding nothing but the truth therein. Slowly, she begins to nod. "Alright."

 _"Good evening ladies and gentleman. Destination time to Montauk is estimated at five minutes. Please begin collecting your personal belongings. Thank you for travelling with us."_ A woman's voice comes through the train's speakers.

Ben gives Rey's hand a squeeze. "If anyone other than Mom asks, we met at-"

"The American Museum of Natural History," Rey interjects. "Ben,  _I know._ " She brings their intertwined hands up and presses a soft kiss onto the back of his before letting go. 

The last few minutes of the ride are spent reorganizing her backpack and taking in the beautiful countryside as it speeds by. 

Ben and Rey linger on the train, in no rush to push past other patrons on their way out. He pulls their weekend bag down from the overhead storage and takes Rey's backpack, slipping it over one shoulder. 

When the train car has thinned out substantially, Ben gestures for her to go ahead of him, and they walk out onto the open air platform.

"You don't realize how much the city stinks until you can breathe fresh air," Rey says softly, after inhaling deeply.

With a soft laugh, Ben agrees, "It's a welcome change."

They make their way out and into the parking lot. A black  _Alderaan Cruiser_ sits idling by the curb in the distance.

"Oh, that's gotta be us," Rey murmurs. 

As they approach the vehicle, the passenger door opens and a grey-headed man steps out. He's dressed immaculately in a navy suit with a black turtleneck underneath. Turning towards the couple, he places one hand on his hip and waves with the other.

Rey can hear Ben groan softly and she looks at him from the corner of her eye. "What?" she whispers.

"Uncle Luke," he replies through clenched teeth.  

Her eyes widen and she stops in her tracks, turning towards Ben. "You have an  _uncle_ and you never told me?"

"He's my mother's twin brother. We don't exactly get along."

Rey opens her mouth and then shuts it, unsure of what to think. Instead of directly replying to Ben, she bounds towards the car ahead of him. With a large smile, she greets the middle aged man. "You must be Ben's uncle."

The man laughs dryly, an amused smile on his lips as he studies her. "Told you all about me, has he?"

"Well..." Rey shrugs, pursing her lips.

Ben stops at her side. "Uncle," he greets the man, voice clipped.

"Ben Solo," Luke says, stepping forward to wrap his much taller nephew into an embrace. "It's been too long."

"Mm," Ben sounds, going stiff as he is hugged.

 _"Ben!"_ Rey whispers loudly, surprised to see her kindly beau suddenly acting so cold.

Releasing Ben, Luke directs his attention to Rey and shakes his head. "It's alright, there are a lot of misunderstandings between the two of us."

"Misunderstandings, right," Ben snorts, shaking his head.

"Well I for one am happy to meet a member of Ben's family." Rey stretches out a hand. "I'm Rey Jakken."

Luke regards her hand for a moment before shaking it once. "Pleased to meet you, Rey. My name is Luke Skywalker." He opens the back right door to the vehicle and motions for her to sit down.

"Thank you," Rey says as she passes by the two men and steps inside.

Shutting the door behind her, Luke looks pointedly at his nephew. "She's good for you. I can already see the brightness her company has brought you.

"I'm so  _pleased_ to have your approval, Uncle," Ben speaks sharply. 

Without another glance in the older man's direction, Ben walks to the back and pops the trunk. Stowing their baggage inside, he goes around to the left side and takes his seat next to Rey.

The drive from Montauk to East Hampton could have gone by quickly, if it were filled with lighthearted tales from Ben's childhood and probing get-to-know-you questions. Instead, the twenty minutes dragged by in awkward silence. The fickle men left Rey with no option other than to stare out the window and hope that her introduction to Leia Organa-Solo went much better.

As a result, she is feeling rather irate and carsick when the  _Alderaan Cruiser_ pulls onto a gravel driveway. The bumpy ride ends in front of a prodigious wooden mansion tucked back amongst vibrant green foliage. Already, the driveway is filled with other models of  _Alderaan Motors_  vehicles. 

Luke and the driver, who hadn't introduced himself, both exit the car and start toward the house.

Shifting her body towards Ben, Rey sucks in her bottom lip. Her hazel eyes look especially green in the evening glow as they search for his.

When he turns to her, Ben wears a look of tenderness that nearly erases the unease of the drive. His large hand glides gently across her shoulder and they both lean in. "She's going to love you," he whispers. His parted lips brush across her cheek before they capture her lips in an affectionate kiss.

"But not as much as I do," Ben says softly, their faces still close. "That would be impossible."

Rey's mouth pulls back in a faint smile. "One more for good luck," she requests, one hand winding around the back of his neck. Tugging him closer, Rey presses a quick kiss to his lips. 

Begrudgingly separating, they turn to open their respective doors and meet at the back of the car. 

"I don't want to look helpless," Rey insists when both of their hands reach for her backpack. 

A brief staring contest ensues but, as always, Ben concedes to her. 

Flashing her teeth in a smile, Rey pulls the backpack out of the trunk and slips her arms through each of the straps.

"No one could ever accuse you of that," Ben mutters, lifting the weekend bag.

He shuts the trunk and leads the way off the gravel driveway and up the brick paved sidewalk. Hesitantly moving his hand between the doorknob and the bell, Ben is caught off guard when the door flies open.

"There you are!" A petite woman stands under the door frame, smiling at the couple like the cat that ate the canary. "Ben, it's so good to see you!" she says. When she opens her arms to embrace him, Ben actually meets her halfway. Even though she's wearing heels, Ben towers over her, the woman's head pressing into his chest. 

Keeping an arm around her son, she turns her head towards Rey. 

Seeing them side-by-side, the resemblance is uncanny. They share the same full lips and cheeks, similar deep brown eyes. Rey's imagination fills in the details of where his father would have fit in the picture next to them. Tall like Ben, no doubt. She can picture that Han Solo gave Ben his pronounced nose and sturdy chin. 

"And you must be the beautiful Rey I've been hearing so much about," she releases Ben and steps in towards Rey. "He didn't do you justice," she adds, almost to herself. 

"Mrs. Organa-Solo, I'm so glad to finally meet you. Your son thinks the world of you," Rey says, smiling too widely. Timid. 

The woman laughs kindly. "I'm sure he does," she says jokingly, waving Rey forward for a hug. 

Rey wraps her arms around her, the warmth with which she's met almost taking her by surprise. It's been a long time since Rey has been hugged with this kind of fervor.

Giving another little squeeze, Ben's mother releases Rey saying, "And please, call me Leia."

* * *

**September 21, 2018**

With classes in New York having begun two and a half weeks prior, Rey accompanies Poe to where he'll be spending the next four to eight years -  Evanston, Illinois.

They left on Tuesday and took their time driving through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and parts of Michigan before arriving at their destination. For the foster siblings, this new chapter in their lives will be the first where they're so greatly separated.

"It's only eight hundred miles, Rey-bee," Poe insists, stretching a shirt over a hanger before adding it to his small closet.

"Eight hundred and  _eight,_ actually."

Chuckling, Poe shakes his head. "You sound so much like Paige right now, it's insane."

"Yes, well, she did tell me to embody her spirit since she couldn't escort you herself." Sitting down on the mattress, Rey wiggles her nose. "But obviously I'm not going to be giving you the 'proper goodbye' she would have wanted."

"Thank God for that."

Casting her gaze out the window of his bedroom, Rey smiles to herself. "Who would have thought that in less than a year, our lives would be this different?"

"I thought I was going to spend my days at the shop, most of those hopefully with Holdo out of the picture." Poe takes a seat next to her. "In a lot of ways, we have your stickler of a boss to thank for all this."

"You still could have met Paige!"

"Yeah, but I would never have left you in the city by yourself if you didn't have Benji and the Tico's."

Rey hums thoughtfully and draws her knees to her chest.

Nudging her shoulder, Poe says, "It's a good change, I promise. I'm sure living with your boyfriend will be a lot more interesting than living with me."

"I'm just really going to miss you," Rey whispers, laying her head down atop her knees and looking over at Poe.

"Me too."

They sit in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, both of them deep in thought. 

Eventually, Rey stands up and walks to the bedroom door. "Let's go meet your suite-mates."

* * *

**April 21, 2019**

"Sweetheart, I forgot to tell you. Something came in the mail for you yesterday," Ben calls out from the living room. 

It's mid-afternoon on a Sunday. Rey and Ben spent the morning strolling through the Bushwick Farmer's Market before coming home with their haul of freshly picked fruits, vegetables and a loaf of sourdough.

After a late lunch, she's resigned herself to writing in their bedroom - trying to get a leg up on her current assignment for  _The Times._

"Really? I don't remember ordering anything."

The sound of her laptop closing with a  _snap_ and the heavy footfall of her socked feet can easily be heard from where Ben is sitting on the couch.

"I put it on the kitchen table," Ben says when Rey appears in the doorway.

She pats his shoulder affectionately as she walks by, and makes a beeline for the next room. 

Just as he said it would be, a small cardboard box addressed to  _Rey Eleanor Jakken_ sits next to the fruit bowl on their round table. 

"Is it from Amazon?" Rey asks loudly. She picks it up and rips the tab, the cardboard unfolding around a book. 

Placing the box onto the table, Rey takes the book in her hands. It's a crimson-colored hardback book with beautiful gold filigree and Rey can't resist running her fingers over the detailing.

Turning it over, she reads the spine in an undertone, _"T_ _he Portrait of a Lady_ by Henry James." Louder, she adds, "Ben, did you buy me a book?"

Ben doesn't respond right away, so Rey continues to study it. The edges of the pages are gilded in a matching gold foil. Though the book looks like it was printed long ago, it is in pristine condition. 

A red ribbon that's been sewn into the bookbinding sticks out at the bottom. Curiosity leads Rey to open the book there, and the pages flip open to Chapter 35. 

Rey's breath catches when she notices a paragraph has been highlighted.

 

> _It has made me better, loving you,” he said on another occasion; “it has made me wiser, and easier, and brighter. I used to want a great many things before, and to be angry that I didn’t have them. Theoretically, I was satisfied, as I once told you. I flattered myself that I had limited my wants. But I was subject to irritation; I used to have morbid, sterile, hateful fits of hunger, of desire. Now I am really satisfied, because I can’t think of anything better. It is just as when one has been trying to spell out a book in the twilight, and suddenly the lamp comes in. I had been putting out my eyes over the book of life, and finding nothing to reward me for my pains; but now that I can read it properly I see that it’s a delightful story. My dear girl, I can’t tell you how life seems to stretch there before us-_

She's so enthralled by the words that she doesn't hear Ben walk into the kitchen. So captivated that she doesn't see him kneel before her. 

When Ben gently clears his throat, Rey looks over the top of the page at him and gasps, nearly dropping the book.

"Rey Eleanor Jakken," he says, voice teeming with emotion.

Rey closes the book and presses it to her chest, her eyes widening as she takes in the man before her.

"I've known that you are the woman I want to marry ever since you challenged me on the character of Edward Rochester. Of course, that feeling was unwelcome at the time-"

They both laugh, the sound strained and nervous.

"But still, it was there to stay. You burrowed your way into my heart. You are, in every way, my equal. More than that, you're my better half. You balance me with your light, your  _goodness._ " Ben's voice catches and he takes a deep, shuddering breath before continuing. "We were two somewhat broken individuals, and together we created a family with the people we each love. Every day I thank whatever superior personage is out there that you found me. I don't ever want to find out what life is like without you in it, sweetheart. I love you with my entire being."

Ben produces a velvet box, the same shade of crimson as the book, and holds it out toward her. "That's why on this day, one year since your kiss inexplicably captured my lifelong devotion, I ask you to do me the greatest honor." He opens the box, revealing the most exquisite piece of jewelry Rey's ever seen. A thin gold ring with what resembles a flower made up of diamonds in the middle, and two diamonds going down the band on either side. "Rey, darling, will you marry me?"

She's so awestruck at first that she can only nod, rapidly. Tears start to pour from her eyes.

"Yes, Ben. _Yes,_ I'd love to marry you," she says, her voice wobbly.

Ben lets out a short, relieved laugh and reaches for her left hand. Gingerly, he takes the ring from the silk and slides it onto Rey's finger.

"It's perfect," Rey murmurs, lifting her hand to admire the way the light catches on the stones. _"Y_ _ou're_ perfect." She bends down into where he's still kneeling on the kitchen floor and wraps her arms around his neck. 

He peppers kisses along her face, starting with her tear-dampened cheeks, her eyelids, her forehead, the tip of her nose and finally, her lips. 

* * *

**May 22, 2019**

"Paige Tico!" Mr. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, announces. 

The audience has been instructed to hold their applause until the end, so the row of Paige's guests silently wave their hands and mime stomping their feet.

She walks across the stage in her cap and gown, shakes Mr. Bollinger's hand and accepts her diploma before he announces the next name.

"She looks gorgeous," Rey whispers to Poe.

Keeping his eyes on Paige as she walks off the stage, Poe nods once. "I know."

When the ceremony ends and the new graduates disperse to find their friends and family, Rey and Ben hang back. 

Mr. and Mrs. Tico fawn over their eldest daughter while aunts and uncles give Paige affectionate hugs and discreet little envelopes.

"I'm so proud of you, Pae Pae," Rose says, wrapping her sibling up in a hug. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too, Rosie."

The girls wipe away tears as they pull back from the embrace.

Finally able to greet his girlfriend, Poe grins and goes right in for a kiss. His flight got in late the previous night, and this is the first he's seen of her since spring break. 

Mr. Tico groans at the display in front of all their family and friends, but doesn't say anything.

"Babe, you're incredible," Poe murmurs, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You got your BA in Archaeology  _and_ a cushy internship at twenty-three. You're gonna be a curator before I get started on my Master's."

Paige's cheeks redden, both from their physical proximity and his words. "Someone's gotta bring home the bacon."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Poe says, walking them a few feet away from the rest of the group. He slips a hand into his back pocket and pulls out a little box.

Looking at the pair, Rose grabs Rey's shoulder and nods fervently in their direction.

"Poe, what is that?" Paige asks, lowering her voice.

Chuckling softly, Poe opens the box. "Relax, babe." 

Inside is a shiny silver key threaded through a matching chain.

Paige reaches for it, running her fingertips over the key. 

"We've spent the past eight months living hundreds of miles apart. Now that you're moving to Chicago for your internship at The Field Museum, I wanted us to have a place of our own."

"You bought a house?"

"Just a rental. It's in Edgewater, about halfway between my campus and your job."

A smile lights up Paige's face. "I don't know what to say, other than how happy I am. Things are going so well for us and I keep waiting for some fluke...but it never comes."

Taking her chin in his hand, Poe shakes his head. "Kismet, babe."

From a few yards away, Rose exaggeratedly shakes her head. "False alarm," she announces to the onlooking family members. "It's just a key."

* * *

**September 28, 2019**

Adjusting the veil over Rey's face, Leia nods, pleased with her work. "Ben's going to lose his kriffing mind when he sees you."

Rey smiles at her soon-to-be mother-in-law's reflection in the large oval mirror. "I might lose mine first," she says with a soft laugh.

Deciding to have the wedding at Leia's home upstate was a no-brainer. Neither Ben nor Rey were into the idea of a lavish affair, especially since they could count their closest friends on their fingers. An early autumn wedding sounded perfect to them, with the leaves starting to turn vibrant shades of orange and red.

There's a slight chill in the air, but other than that, the day is exactly how they envisioned.

A knock on the door announces Rose's presence before she enters, looking beautiful in a cobalt blue one-shouldered dress. "You ladies almost ready?" 

Smoothing the fabric of her dress down, Rey takes one last look at herself in the mirror. Her wedding gown is a floor length tulle and lace dress, blush colored and cap-sleeved with a plunging neckline. It was her mother's before some very specific alterations made it her own.

"Ready," Rey says, smiling over her shoulder.

Rose and Leia lead the way out of the bedroom and down the hallway, all through the colonial house. When they reach the back door, Leia steps outside to allow the girls a moment of privacy.

Taking both of Rey's hands in hers, Rose beams. "You make a beautiful bride, Rey Jakken."

"You, too," Rey says immediately. "A beautiful maid-of-honor, I mean."

"Mr.Ren- I mean  _Ben_ , wow, still weird for me to say that," Rose begins, shaking her head, "Ben is a lucky man. A lucky man that has been waiting for you in the garden for the past ten minutes. I'm getting sweaty just thinking about how nervous he was looking when I went to grab you."

Unable to fight the grin, Rey peers towards the door. "I guess I should get out there, then." Squeezing Rose's palms, she directs her attention back to her friend. "Thank you for being here, for setting up the lights, for...everything. I love you like I imagine people love their siblings."

"I love you, too. I know that one day you'll do the same for me."

"I will," Rey promises.

"Alright, well I'm gonna get out there and start the music for you," Rose says, taking her hands back. She lifts a small bouquet of light pink peonies and honey bracelet stems from a vase by the door and hands it to Rey. "I'll see you up there, okay?"

"Okay."

Rose slips out the door, leaving Rey one last chance to collect herself.

Without a father on either of their sides, Rey made the decision to walk herself down the aisle months ago. And with such a small guest list, her and Ben agreed to just have a best man and a maid-of-honor stand at the altar with them as their two witnesses. Rose had been her choice from the beginning, but it took Ben some time to decide upon his best man. Most of his male friends were colleagues, and he didn't spend time with them outside of school very often. Eventually, Ben decided Poe would be a good fit, and Rey couldn't have agreed more.

It had taken some serious finagling to convince Ben to ask Luke to officiate the wedding. The late teenage years Ben spent with his uncle after the death of Han had left him jaded, but Rey was working hard to convince both men to start their relationship anew. 

The first few chords of  _Heartbeats_ by José González start to play outside, Rey's cue. 

She takes in a deep breath, holds it, and slowly breathes out. "It's just a walk. Ben is waiting for you," she murmurs to herself, thumbing the ribbon around her bouquet.

When she opens the door, the music gets louder and suddenly the heads of all her seated friends turn expectantly to Rey. Finn shoots her a covert thumbs up, his free arm wrapped around Katherine's shoulders. Mrs. Tico mouths something Rey can't make out, but it looks encouraging. Leia is seated in the front row, her Shih Tzu-Pomeranian pup Chewie on the chair next to her. Poe and Rose stand grinning on either side of the wooden arbor wrapped in fairy lights.

Rey's stomach knots and stretches as she steps down onto the grass. 

_Just focus on Ben._

Rey's mouth pulls back in a smile and she takes slow, deliberate steps towards her fiancé. 

Freshly shaven for the ceremony, Ben looks across the garden at Rey with childlike wonderment. His smile fills her with warmth, the nervous tension fleeing Rey's body. 

Ben wears a grey three-piece suit with a crisp white shirt and blush colored bow-tie, to match her dress. Rey has never felt more fortunate than she does when she stops her walk in front of him.

"Hi," she whispers, the music already fading out.

"Hello," he replies, smiling smittenly.

"Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Ben and Rey," Luke announces, beginning the ceremony.

His words are mostly lost on the couple, having a deep conversation with their eyes, until Luke says, "In the spirit of the importance of strong friendships to a marriage, Ben and Rey have asked two friends to read selections about love that especially resonate with them." He hands a small card to each Rose and Poe.

Rose turns towards the small audience and begins, "This is _Sonnet 116_ by William Shakespeare:Let me not to the marriage of true minds, admit impediments. Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove: O no; it is an ever-fixed mark, that looks on tempests, and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken. Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle’s compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved." She finishes with a soft nod before looking back to Luke.

Poe clears his throat and lifts his card. "And this is a section taken from  _Les Misérables_ by Victor Hugo: You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving. The great acts of love are done by those who are habitually performing small acts of kindness. We pardon to the extent that we love. Love is knowing that even when you are alone, you will never be lonely again. And great happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Loved for ourselves. And even loved in spite of ourselves."

"Excellent," Luke mutters, a smirk on his lips. "We've come to the point of your ceremony where you will recite your vows to one another. Ben, please repeat after me. I, Ben Solo, take you, Rey Jakken, to be my beloved wife, to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life."

Ben repeats the words, his fingers brushing against Rey's forearm.

"Thank you," Luke says. "Rey, please recite the same words back to him."

"I, Rey Jakken, take you, Ben Solo, to be my beloved husband," she pauses, her voice catching. Ben gives her hand an encouraging squeeze, and Rey continues, "to have and to hold you, to honor you, to treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, in the good times, and in the bad, and to love and cherish you always. I promise you this from my heart, for all the days of my life."

"Thank you, Rey," Luke smiles at his new niece and then looks back and forth between the two witnesses. "May I please have the rings?"

Poe reaches into the breast-pocket of his jacket and pulls out two matched gold wedding bands. He hands them to Luke with a nod. 

Rey passes her bouquet to Rose.

After Luke's instruction, Ben reaches for Rey's left hand and says, "This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion to you. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your husband. With this ring, I gladly marry you and join my life to yours." He slips the ring onto her finger behind the engagement ring.

With shaky hands, Rey grasps Ben's left hand and repeats the words back to him. 

Once they are both wearing their rings, Luke loudly broadcasts, "By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife! Ben, kiss your wife!"

Ben lifts her veil over her face. His hands find her waist just as Rey places a hand on either side of his neck. He leans down, pressing their foreheads together. "Mrs. Rey Solo has a nice ring to it," he whispers. Rey tilts her head up and captures his lips.

* * *

**November 5, 2019**

Rey paces the cold tile of the bathroom floor, forcing herself not to look at the applicators lined up on the countertop.

_It's just residual wedding stress, throwing my body off._

_We're always so careful._

_I am_ not  _the person who gets pregnant on their honeymoon. I can't be._

Her eyes move to the timer on her phone, counting down the three minutes she has to wait. Inhaling, Rey picks up the phone and presses the messaging app.

 

 

> **\---- Tuesday, November 5 ----**
> 
> **– Rey Solo | 5:39 –**
> 
> _Hi._

 

 

> **– Ben Solo | 5:39 –**
> 
> _Hello darling._
> 
> _I just picked up Indian around the corner, I'll home shortly._

 

The timer starts to beep, and Rey swipes the notification away. 

  

 

> **– Rey Solo | 5:40 –**
> 
> _Ok._

 

 

> **– Ben Solo | 5:40 –**
> 
> _Is everything alright?_

 

Rey places the phone on the counter, looks up at the ceiling and mouths  _'please'_. Drawing on all her inner strength, she dares a look at the three applicators.

One of them displays two pink stripes, another one a plus symbol, and the last one simply reads  _pregnant._

"For kriff's sake!" Rey growls, placing her hands on the countertop and lowering her head.

Her phone chirps with another notification.

 

 

> **– Ben Solo | 5:42 –**
> 
> _Rey?_

 

Unable to find proper words, Rey double clicks the button on her phone, bringing up the camera. She swipes down for the front-facing camera, lifts her shirt, and takes an oddly angled picture of her stomach. 

  

 

> **– Rey Solo | 5:43 –**
> 
> _[image]_

  

 

> **– Ben Solo | 5:43 –**
> 
> _Um._
> 
> _Is this how sexting works?_

 

Despite her current emotional state, Rey laughs out loud. Shaking her head, she angles the camera over the sink and snaps a picture of the three pregnancy tests - all confirming the same thing.

  

 

> **– Rey Solo | 5:44 –**
> 
> _[image]_

 

Three dots tell her Ben is already typing. Rey chews on her lower lip, eyes transfixed on the screen.

 

 

> **– Ben Solo | 5:44 –**
> 
> _Really???_
> 
> _Rey, did you take that picture?_
> 
> _Sweetheart, if you're playing coy, my old heart can't take it._
> 
>  

Only Ben could distract her from getting into her head at a time like this.

 

 

> **– Rey Solo | 5:45 –**
> 
> _Yes._

  

 

> **– Ben Solo | 5:45 –**
> 
> _Yes, what?_

 

 

> **– Rey Solo | 5:45 –**
> 
> _Yes, I took the picture._

 

Five knocks reverberate from the front of the apartment. 

Leaving her phone in the bathroom, Rey strides across the hallway, into the living room, and to the entrance of their home. "Ben?" she asks cautiously, her hand hovering near the doorknob.

"Sweetheart, can you get the door?"

She unlocks the deadbolt and opens the door, taking a step back.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Ben rushes in, places the takeout bag on the table just inside and wraps both hands around her, lifting her up.

Rey lets out a squeal, her hair falling forward and brushing across his forehead. 

He walks further into the living room, still holding her up like that. "Rey!"

Still unsure of her feelings on the subject, Rey nods, her lips parting in a smile. "Yes."

Ben begins to spin her around the room, his joy written all over his face. "You're having our children?"

Laughing, Rey corrects him. "Our  _child._ Yes, it appears so."

Bringing her down from the air, Ben keeps her close, his lips brushing against her hair.

"And you feel...?"

Pulling his head back, Ben grins. "Happy. So kriffing happy." He takes her face in his hands now and presses a lingering kiss to her lips. "But you're going to have to remind me, how could this have happened?"

Rey can't help but giggle. The smell and feel of Ben here in front of her, so solid, so sure, is putting her at ease. 

She darts her tongue out, but not quick enough. Ben sucks her tongue between his lips, eliciting a moan. 

When he releases it, he brings his mouth to her ear and traces her earlobe with his tongue. "I ask you a question and you laugh at me. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Shuddering, Rey takes his hand and pulls him towards the couch. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Let me make it up to you."

* * *

** June 8, 2020 **

The question of when the baby was conceived is confirmed when Rey is given her due date, June 23.

_Honeymoon baby, for sure._

The next seven months are chock full as they move into a bigger flat and prepare the nursery, both of them continuing to work.

Pregnant Rey is an absolute behemoth. The smallest thing can make her nauseous and despite working in an office, her feet throb and ache at the end of each day. 

Father-to-be Ben responds to her every beck and call. He packs her lunches with cute notes inside, rubs her feet before bed, and generally worships the ground she walks upon. 

Convincing him to wait and "be surprised" by the baby's gender is no easy feat. Coercing Leia to help fight her side of the argument is what finally wears Ben down. But surprisingly, Ben goes along with her desire to have a more natural birth.

When Rey's water breaks and contractions start two weeks ahead of schedule, it's a welcome relief.

Ever the rock, Ben grabs the hospital bag, orders an Uber, texts their doula and calls the school to let them know he's not coming in.

Twenty minutes later, Rey is being rushed into her birthing suite at  _New York-Presbyterian._

For the next few hours, family and friends filter into the room. Rose, Finn, Katherine and Leia help Ben keep Rey's mind off her contractions as she bounces on an exercise ball. Poe texts to say that him and Paige will catch the next flight out. 

Six hours in, Rey's contractions are timed at two minutes apart. Everyone except for Leia and Ben is asked to leave the room.

Rey, having changed from her hospital gown into a bikini top, settles into the hydrotherapy tub. She rubs her bulbous stomach gently. "We're ready for you, baby. We love you and we want you," she murmurs softly, closing her eyes.

Ben comes up behind her, kneeling next to the tub and kisses her neck. 

The doula, a kindly older woman named Maz, sits on a stool a few feet away, coaching Rey through the process. She suggests breathing patterns and positions for Rey to move into. After a few minutes, Maz asks Ben if he would like to be in the water for the birth. 

Rey begins to say that he didn't pack swim trunks, but Ben just climbs into the water fully clothed.

He sits in front of her and rubs her shoulders silently, letting Maz direct Rey on how to breathe.

The midwife, Satine, comes by with a thermometer to check both the temperature of the water and Rey. She pulls Maz to the side to confer briefly.

"Ben, your wife is about to bring life into the world. Would you like to assist her?" Maz asks.

"Yes," he nods, all looks of weariness from the day's events gone.

Maz tells Ben to sit behind Rey in the tub and hold her so that her body can relax.

"Rey, up until now I've told you just to breathe, but now I need you to push. These babies are ready to meet their parents."

 _"Babies?!"_ Rey gasps.

Ben's hands knead against her hips, thumbs stroking her skin.

Leia, who has been patiently watching this from across the room, speaks up, "Ben told you twins run on my side of the family, didn't he?"

"I'm sorry," Ben whispers into her ear. "The chances were so low...I didn't want to needlessly worry you."

"Holy druk," Rey mutters, squaring her shoulders.

"Breathe and push," Maz instructs from her spot next to Rey and Ben.

Rey closes her eyes, leaning back against Ben and she rubs her hands against her thighs.

"That's a good girl," Satine coos, the time for her to shine having finally arrived. She slides a new set of gloves onto her hands before reaching into the water between Rey's legs.

A whimper that turns into a groan pours from Rey's open mouth.

"You're doing great, darling," Ben says steadily.

Rey's hands find Ben's legs under the water and grip them as she pushes. The strangest feeling yet overcomes her, as her body takes over.

"There's the head, keep going, Rey," Maz directs.

Doing as she's told, Rey opens her eyes and looks down, a baby -  _her baby_ , now materializing in front of her. Something like a gasp and a sob sounds from deep inside her chest as Satine lays the infant on her bosom.

"Oh my god, Ben," Rey murmurs, one hand coming up to steady the child. 

As their gazes meet over her shoulder, Rey realizes they're both crying.

Leia stands not far away, with a hand against her mouth.

"That was incredible, Rey. Can you do it for me one more time?" Satine asks.

"I don't think I can," Rey shakes her head, still looking at her husband. "Ben, I-"

"You're the strongest person I know, Rey," he says.

The calmness of his voice effects her and before she knows it, Rey's body is pushing again until the second child is nestled up against her.

Shortly thereafter, once Rey has been dried off and moved into the suite's bed with Ben at her side, Satine and Maz bring over the babies. 

"Congratulations, mom and dad. You've got a little boy and a little girl," Satine announces, handing one to each parent.

The full weight of their newfound responsibilities falls over Ben and Rey as they look at the perfect little faces of their twins. 

"Can you believe we...made them?" Ben asks, his voice thick with awe as the baby girl in his arms wraps her tiny hand around his index finger.

"I'm still trying to wrap my mind around there being two of them," Rey answers in a whisper.  

Cheerful knocking on the door goes unnoticed by the pair.

It's not until their bed is surrounded by the smiling faces of Luke, Leia, the entire Tico family, Poe, Finn and Katherine that the couple really sees them.

Everyone seems to talk at once, their words a jumble of gushing and cooing noises. 

"They look like mini Rey and Ben babies," Finn says a moment later, his eyes wide.

Katherine's hand moves to playfully smack his shoulder, something sparkling in the light. "That's because they are, Finnigan."

"Whoa," Rey says, straining her head forward. "Katherine, what's that on your left hand?"

"Oh, this?" she asks, proudly displaying a princess-cut diamond.

"Congrats to you guys, when did that happen?" Rey asks.

"Actually, in the waiting room. Sorry, I didn't mean to rain on your parade, Peanut," Finn says with a regretful smile. "All the new life and happiness made me feel sentimental, and I just couldn't wait any longer."

"No, I think it's wonderful!" Rey nods encouragingly.

"You hotties make adorable babies," Rose says with a grin, stepping in next to Rey's side of the bed. "Can I hold...?"

"Him, this one's the boy," Rey says. Gently, she lifts her son into Rose's waiting arms.

A chorus of _'careful!'_ s sound.

Smiling down at the baby, Rose asks, "What are you going to name them?" 

Rey looks over at Ben and the now-sleeping baby girl. "Well...we didn't know the gender, so we  _did_ have a male and female name already picked out." 

She mouths something, to which he nods. Rey reaches a finger out and lightly runs it across her daughter's face. "This is Amelia."

Ben and Rey share a smile, and then he looks up, his eyes finding his mother and uncle. "And we decided to name our son after Grandfather."

Leia inhales sharply and a new set of tears fill her eyes. Wrapping an arm around his sister, Luke smiles proudly at Ben. "Anakin." His head turns toward his grand-nephew and Luke nods. "It suits him well."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING.
> 
> [Here](https://d2cc4nhc43z4vz.cloudfront.net/en/images/thumbnails/300/185/detailed/2/ka0128aa_RG_00001.jpg) is the ring I envisioned Ben proposing with, and the [dress](https://www.instyledress.co.uk/uploads/product/2/I/2I092/vintage-lace-embroidered-plunging-v-neck-cap-sleeve-blush-fall-wedding-dress-1.jpg) Rey wears down the aisle.
> 
> Thank you to Chia_Roscuro for giving me the idea to have Ben propose with a book, because books are obviously "their thing" <3
> 
> And a huge thank you to every single one of you for reading, commenting, and giving the story kudos. Having your feedback and encouragement has made telling this tale a pleasure. Thank you for taking this journey with me, I appreciate all of you! 
> 
> xx


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